


The Art of Living

by DragonSilk



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Reader-Insert, Relationship Study, Romance, Slice of Life, The reader likes to troll people., Vignette
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-27 05:31:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 31,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6271687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonSilk/pseuds/DragonSilk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some days, Kaiba wasn't sure why he tolerated you, and on other days, he didn't know what kept you coming back to him. Yet, in a life full of facts and figures, you remained his favorite constant. </p><p>Seto Kaiba/Reader<br/>Vignettes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Smarter

**Author's Note:**

> I am slowly but surely moving all of my fanfiction onto A03. I'm also writing new stuff. :) 
> 
> Anyway, these are vignettes. They'll be connected, but it's unlikely that I'll have any sort of overarching plot. I kind of wanted to write some exploratory pieces dealing with Kaiba and the problems that come with being too involved with him. So I guess there IS an overarching theme, but like I said, I'm not going to concern myself with developing any sort of connecting plot. 
> 
> We're going to start out at the very beginning, but I'm also not going to commit myself to going sequentially. :D I also won't commit to a perspective. Each individual piece will either be from your point of view OR Kaiba's, but they will alternate depending on my whims. (Gah, it's been so long since I've done anything from Kaiba's perspective. I feel rusty.)
> 
> I think that's everything of importance... so I'll shut up now. Be sure to let me know what you guys think. 
> 
> I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the song lyrics used in this story.
> 
> Enjoy~!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "Smarter" by Eisley.

_I'm smiling now 'cause I'm smarter than you think._

Kaiba didn't pay much attention to his fellow students. Other than Yugi and his gang of idiots, the student body all blended into the same set of molds. There were girls who constantly tried to get his attention, students whose futile attempts to outdo him during exams were almost laughable, and everyone else.

So when he was assigned partners for group projects, he almost never had a face for the name. This was true when he was assigned you as a partner. When he first heard your name paired with his own, he had no idea who you were, but he was admittedly pleased that it wasn't Mazaki. He would have demanded someone else if the teacher even _tried_ to pair him off with Mazaki. Her constant attempts to stand up to him grated on his nerves.

He remained in his seat and let his new partner come to him as the teacher ordered the class to get to work.

You finally slid into the seat in front of his and turned to face him. You held out your hand. “Hi, Kaiba.”

He just looked at your outstretched hand and raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure what to make of you yet, but you were probably an idiot.

You slowly withdrew your hand. The polite smile on your face disappeared as you looked down at your folder. “Well, I wanted to do _Romeo and Juliet_ —”

“No.” He had no qualms about interrupting you. Your suggestion was inane. There was very little of worth in that play, and he refused to do a project on hormonal teenagers. He dealt with too many of those during school hours.

You openly frowned at him. “You haven't heard my idea yet.”

“I doubt it's worthwhile.” He was going to have to do all the work, again. It was irritating that he was constantly saddled with dead weight.

You pursed your lips, and he wondered what colorful insults you were trying to refrain from saying.

“I want to talk about how the play _isn't_ romantic at all. Romeo falls in and out of love faster than a teenage girl with a new celebrity, and Juliet is an airheaded fool.” You blurted everything out quickly and loudly, giving him very little space to interrupt.

He didn't say anything as you paused to breathe. Despite himself, he was a little intrigued.

“I just hate,” you continued, “how everyone in this class kept swooning over the story. Tragic love my ass! I can see exactly how Twilight was based on it. They're both about stupid teenagers that confuse lust for love. It inspires too many stupid fantasies.”

He kept his face blank, but he listened to your rant with growing amusement. He knew that many of the girls in his class happened to think Romeo and Juliet was romantic. He'd received a ridiculous amount of love letters misquoting that stupid play during the weeks it was covered.

“Fine.” He wanted to see what you had planned, and if you happened to crush a few fangirlish dreams along the way, well he wouldn't object to that. He wasn't interested in your idea for the project, it still wasn't up to his usual standards, but it would be interesting to watch you stomp all over the beliefs of every other girl in the class. At least the teacher couldn't complain that he was unnecessarily confusing his classmates again.

He opened the file that contained his schedule and wrote down the times that he would have free. “Here's when and where we'll meet to work on the project.”

You took the schedule from him and looked it over. “What if I'm busy during these times?”

He didn't care if you had some insignificant plans. “Reschedule.” You grinned at his response, and he was annoyed at your nonchalance. “Did I say something amusing?” Were you even listening to him?

You bit your lip as if you were trying to hold back laughter, and he was beginning to question whether or not he could stand working with you. _What the hell was so amusing?_ You should be agreeing to his schedule, not grinning at him like he was a stand up comedian.

“I was just thinking that you're a lot like _Romeo and Juliet_.” You chuckled.

He couldn't tell if you were trying to insult him or if you were just stupid. Either way he was convinced that working with you would be a waste of time. He stood, ready to demand that the teacher reassign partners, but you had the audacity to grab his sleeve.

He turned on you and glared, ready to tear you a new one, but something about the smile on your face made him falter. It was the first time anyone had ever faced his glare with a smile.

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that!” You released his sleeve. “I meant all the girls think you're some romantic figure, but you're really not. Don't worry, I'll be sure to make all of our meetings.”

You _were_ insulting him this time, but he didn't feel insulted. He was forced to admit to himself that your comparison was a valid one and perhaps you might have a few brain cells in that head of yours. At least you had reasonable expectations of him and were finally agreeing to his stipulations. “I hope you're less incompetent at writing than you are at speaking.”

You just laughed. He wondered if maybe he should play Russian Roulette and ask for a new partner, but then he decided against it.

Later in the relationship, when you started quoting _Romeo and Juliet_ to him just to be annoying, he would always think back on that first encounter with you and wonder if perhaps he should have requested a new partner.

Then a tiny voice in the back of his head, one that sounded suspiciously like you, would always point out that he didn't mean that. It mockingly said that you made his life interesting. 


	2. Reckless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "Reckless" by You Me at Six.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reader is kind of a troll. I have no regrets. I only hope that you guys enjoy her trolololol-ing.
> 
> We're still pre-relationship here, and Kaiba's POV.  
> Next update will be later in the relationship and your POV. 
> 
> Enjoy~

_I'm reckless, and you're defenseless._

Kaiba sat alone, as was his right, during lunch. He had his own table in the library where he could sit and work in complete silence. It was the only time during the school day when he could work, uninterrupted, on Kaiba Corp. and he didn't waste a second.

So when you dropped your bag onto his table with an obnoxious bang and helped yourself to a seat, he was rightfully vexed.

“We're not friends.” He wasn't going to allow you to have illusions about your acquaintanceship with him. You worked with him once. It was over, and you should no longer have any role in his life.

You pulled out a book. “I know, but this is the best place to read in silence.” You put your feet up on the seat and leaned your knees against the table. Your expression was suspiciously mischievous as you propped your book up on your legs. “I'll be quiet.”

He was wary of that expression. Working with you had taught him how to read some of your expressions, and this one meant you had something up your sleeve. So he opted to go back to work until you did something to give yourself away.

He almost forgot that you were there, until a male voice calling out your name disrupted the silence of the library. He glared at you, expecting you to do something about whoever was being a nuisance, but you were just glaring at your book.

“Shouldn't you leave now?” The constant repetition of your name was grating on his nerves.

“If I ignore him, he might go away.” You were still glaring at your book, and you didn't sound fond of whoever was looking for you.

Kaiba didn't care. “I've thought that about you. It doesn't work. Go shut him up. _Now_.”

“No.”

Kaiba might have stood and dragged you to the boy whom you obviously didn't want to meet, but the boy calling your name had finally discovered your hiding spot. Kaiba turned at the sound of your voice being called loudly with delight, and his fury at your disobedience was all over his face. The boy cringed away from Kaiba's feral stare, but still approached the table.

His eyes stayed focused on Kaiba as he meekly asked you if you would come talk to him in private.

You turned a page in your book. “Anything you want to say to me, you can say in front of Kaiba.”

“Uhh... well...”

The boy's babbling was the final straw. Were you seriously about to have a conversation at _his_ table? “Shut up and get lost.” He meant to threaten you and the boy standing next to the table, but the grin that spread across your face told him that you weren't the least bit scared.

“Oh god.” The boy looked like he just wet himself. Now that was an appropriate response. “I... I'm SORRY!” He ran off.

Kaiba was pleased by his response but still annoyed with yours. One problem dealt with, Kaiba rounded on you.

You were holding your book back up, and it was covering the bottom of your face, but you maintained eye contact with him.

“Thanks for that.” You winked before refocusing on your book.

You were still smiling that stupid smile. The smile that he now knew belied your inability to take anything seriously. It all fell into place and he realized that you _predicted_ his response. Somehow you knew that he would frighten away the boy who came to talk to you.

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. He didn't like being used, but he couldn't stop himself from being vaguely impressed with your actions.

No, they weren't really that impressive. Anyone could predict that he would yell at someone who interrupted his work.

“You can leave now.” Not his best moment, but he already knew that his insults just bounced off of you. It would be a waste of time trying to intimidate you. Short of actually ruining your life, he didn't think that anything could wipe that stupidly amused grin off your face, and ruining your life would be like admitting that you _bothered_ him.

You weren't that significant.

You hummed. “I can, but I'm comfortable. It would be better if you were less talkative. I'd like to read in silence if you don't mind.”

His eyes snapped to your face, and he cursed his response the moment he realized you were looking at him. You were deliberately baiting him. “Then shut up.”

You just laughed, and as much as he wanted to pack up and storm away, he knew that would be admitting defeat. So he went back to work and ignored you as much as possible.

He didn't know what about him had caught your interest, but you were really starting to frustrate him. Your subtle ways of getting on his nerves while making it look like you weren't _trying_ to be a pest were starting to drive him crazy.

Eventually, much later in the relationship, he would ask you what made you spend so much time around him. You simply responded that you liked the nice rush of endorphins that he provided.

“It's like standing on the edge of a cliff,” you finally admitted.

Your response drove him crazy in the way that only you seemed to excel. To this day, he didn't know if you were serious or not when you said it was _just endorphins_ that initially attracted you to him, but he wasn't about to open himself to more of your teasing by asking.  


	3. Heartbeat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter uses lyrics from "Heartbeat" by The Fray.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we're skipping forward in time. I did tell you guys this would skip around. 
> 
> I was going to post a different one, but that one has more of a depressing tone so I rerouted it to the next update. This one I actually completely rewrote from my original idea (because I didn't like the way that one unfolded), so I hope it turned out well. 
> 
> Enjoy~

_If you love someone, you love them all the same._

It was hard having a boyfriend who worked constantly. He didn't have a choice, you understood that, but you still selfishly wanted some of his attention.

Tonight you didn't want to sleep in an empty bed. You wanted your boyfriend, but Kaiba was sitting at his desk in his study and still working. He showed no sign of reaching an end in tonight's work, and you knew he could keep on typing for hours.

Right now you couldn't find it in yourself to be understanding. You wanted attention. His work be damned. You approached his desk and grabbed one of his arms.

“What?” he demanded as you pulled his arm away from his computer.

You slid into his lap, settling yourself so that you were blocking off his vision. “Hi.”

“You're in the way.”

You didn't have to look at him to know how displeased he was right now. “I know.” His displeasure didn't bother you.

He grabbed your shoulders and pulled you back at an angle so you were settled against his shoulder and out of the way. You didn't like this position. Reclining like this was uncomfortable and you weren't done being obnoxious.

You twisted around and wrapped your arms around his neck. You began to press kisses against his neck.

“I'm busy.” His frustration was clear.

You smirked against his neck. “Me too.” You pulled your legs around and dangled them off the side of his chair so they were under the arm and you were at a better angle.

“I'll dump you off my lap if you continue to be obtuse.”

He was decidedly serious. You pouted and stopped kissing his neck. He reached around you and continued working on his laptop. You readjusted, settling down to rest your head on his chest. You closed your eyes and just listened to his typing as he breathed in and out.

It was surprising that he could just work with you curled up in his lap like this, but you were perfectly comfortable. He smelled delicious, and it was nice to sit so close with him. You weren't cuddling, but you still felt surrounded by him.

When you woke up later, his arms really were wrapped around you. You took stock of your surroundings. The two of you were still sitting in his chair, his laptop was still running, but his eyes were closed, and he seemed to be asleep. He must have relaxed too much at some point. You chuckled a bit to yourself.

You placed your hands on his shoulders and pushed yourself up so your face was level with his. Your movement roused him, and you found yourself staring into his dark blue eyes. You kissed his nose playfully and smirked at him. “You fell asleep.”

“I never fall asleep.”

It was cute how he actually believed that. “If I pretend that that's true, will you come to bed with me?”

He looked around you at the time and winced. “I still have some work to finish.”

“Do it tomorrow.” He needed to get sleep in an actual bed. It wasn't healthy to work all night long.

“I can't.”

You sighed. “Just lay with me for half an hour until I fall asleep?” You pressed your forehead to his. “You'll feel better after a brief break.” He'd probably just fall asleep for an hour or two before waking up and getting back to work, but that was okay. At least he would get some rest.

“Fine.” One of his arms moved under your knees and he lifted you as he stood.

The bedroom was only across the hall from his office, so he didn't have to carry you far.

“Hey!” you cried as he dropped you onto the bed.

He just smirked. “Go to sleep so I can get back to work.”

“Nu-uh!” You pulled back the covers. “You have to cuddle with me.”

He put on an annoyed front, pretending that you were a huge nuisance, but you knew better. He would be able to work more efficiently after a quick rest. You curled up with him, and told him to turn off the lights.

Nights when you didn't have to fall asleep in an empty bed were rare, and you treasured every single one of them. Even the ones where you had to persuade and bother him into bed.


	4. Lovesick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "Lovesick Fool" by the Cab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I... um... yeah. 
> 
> Enjoy?

_Waking up just brings me down, 'cause every morning you are nowhere to be found._

It's that early morning, three AM moment. The moment when you wake up for absolutely no reason that you can perceive. You can't hear anything out of the ordinary, and the room is pitch black. There's a faint green light on the nightstand. Bleary-eyed you stare at the clock and let your mind wake up just enough to understand the numbers. 

The numbers are never the same. Two forty-seven. Three fifteen. Two eleven. Two twenty-one. Three fifty-five. Four oh one. 

No matter what the numbers on the clock say, it's always too early to wake up. You have plenty of time left to sleep, and the moment you comprehend that, your head falls back down onto the pillow. 

You readjust, turning and twisting until you can find a comfortable position. Sometimes you discover that there's another body lying with you, and you know that Seto actually managed to make it to bed. 

You stop wondering why you woke up at such an odd time and curl up next to him. He's a light sleeper, and your shifting always rouses him if he isn't already awake. You press into his side as he wraps his arms around you. You make yourself comfortable, knowing that he'll readjust you if he's uncomfortable with whatever position you end up in. You try not to press your cold feet against him, knowing exactly how much he hates when you do that, but sometimes you just can't help yourself. He's so delightfully warm. 

"I love you," you mumble, not sure if he can understand, but overwhelmingly happy that he's actually sleeping next to you. 

He fondly runs his hand through your hair and pulls you closer. "Go back to sleep." 

He always ends up becoming your pillow. He's not soft or fluffy, but the rhythmic thump of his heart is a calming lullaby. You drift back to sleep wondering if being so close will make your heartbeats synchronize. 

The next morning, everything feels like a dream when you wake up alone. You can never tell if he actually slept with you last night or if you only dreamed about it. He wakes up much earlier than you do and is almost never present by the time you get up. 

The lingering scent of him on the sheets is your only evidence that he was recently in bed, until you find his shirt lying next to you. The shirt that you snuggled as you fell asleep because you felt lonely.


	5. Superficial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "Superficial" by Natalia Kills

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Say hello to crack from Kaiba's POV. :D Also, more troll!reader.
> 
> Enjoy~

_I think about you all the time. My love is something money can't buy._

Kaiba always hated corporate functions. They were one of the very few things that _almost_ made him regret taking over Kaiba Corp. so quickly. Almost being the key word. He didn't hate them as much as he hated Gozaburo, but it was a close race.

He normally went to events alone. Bringing someone would just cause unnecessary questions. People would want to know all about whoever he brought, and he hated answering questions. It would just give his date the wrong impression.

After he started dating you, he probably could have invited you along, but he never considered it. At that point, he was accustomed to going alone. Then you asked him if he would take you to one of the functions that he kept complaining about.

So he finally brought you to an event, and he had to admit that he didn't know why he never thought about taking you to these things sooner. Each time someone asked you a personal question, you just made up a ridiculous tale. Watching you bewilder people with a tale of how you met him when he saved you from a burning building was more amusing than he would have expected.

He observed your body language as you interacted with a group of women. He'd just ended a conversation with a supplier, and he didn't know how long you'd been talking with the women, but you were grinning.

He _knew_ that grin. Whatever they were saying, you were ready to mock them. He moved closer, trying to stay out of sight as he eavesdropped on the conversation. The moment he moved into earshot, he figured out exactly why you were smiling that way.

The women were all bragging about the things their dates bought for them. He wondered how long they could continue bragging before you said something.

He didn't have to wait long. One of the women started bragging about her new car, and you began to giggle.

The woman who had been bragging wasn't amused. “I don't know what you're laughing about. I hear Seto Kaiba is a complete jerk. He's probably not very generous.”

“That's your boyfriend over there right?” You pointed, but didn't pause for confirmation. “Do you give him Viagra every night in exchange for all his presents?”

A few of the other women laughed. They were probably the ones with younger dates.

You continued, “I'm not with Seto because he has a lot of money. If he needed pills to get going, I would get going out the door.”

Kaiba moved closer to get a good look at your expression. He had a bad feeling about where you were headed with your little speech.

“I'm with him because he has a really **big** , GIGANTIC—”

Kaiba acted swiftly. He threw a hand over your mouth before you could finish your statement and wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you against him. He didn't bother giving any excuses to the women as he pulled you away from them. He wondered if you knew that he was standing behind you while you were talking. You didn't seem at all surprised that he was interrupting your conversation.

He could see you saying something like that just to get him to react. Now he was starting to wonder if those women were the actual targets of your baiting.

“I think you've had a little too much to drink.” Kaiba kept his tone low so that you were the only one who could hear him.

You wrapped both hands around his. He allowed you to pull his hand away from your mouth.

You grinned up at him. “You don't want me telling people all about your massive _ego_?”

“That isn't what you were about to say,” he accused.

“Now you'll never know.” You were biting your lip, and your amusement was written all over your face.

He was going to like having you with him at these events, _except_ for when he was the one you decided to torment.


	6. Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics are from "Burn the Night Away" by There for Tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaiba's POV, and we're bouncing back to pre-relationship.  
>   
> This is kind of an important part I think. I just hope that I managed to write it properly.  
>   
> Enjoy~

_It's so hard to catch your feelings when you always run away._

Kaiba didn't think about you outside of school. You found an endless amount of ways to get in his way but only at school. It was one of your very few positive traits, if he could even call it that.

The first time he saw you outside of your uniform, he almost didn't recognize you. He almost ran you over on his way into a coffee shop. He wouldn't have recognized you at all, except he made eye contact with you when he told you to watch where you were going.

Your eyes widened, and you looked away. Normal people would have apologized, but on a normal day you would have had a creative response for him. His interest was piqued as you hurried away without saying anything.

You were hoping that he hadn't recognized you!

He looked over your attire. The school uniform wasn't very conservative, but your current attire hid even less. Somehow you looked five years older than your actual age. You looked strange.

He caught your wrist.

“Hey!” You tried to pull away, but it was pointless. He wanted to know exactly why you were trying not to get his attention. During school hours you followed him around like an annoyingly lost animal, but now you didn't want anything to do with him.

“Let go!”

You were clearly shivering in your skimpy attire, and it looked like you used make up to age yourself. The large earrings dangling from your ears looked as cheap as you did. “You look like a whore.”

For the first time, you didn't answer him with a smile. You stopped struggling and stood up straight. You scowled but said nothing.

It wasn't your normal response, and his curiosity doubled. If he had to guess, based on your behavior, he would say that you didn't like your current attire. He wanted to know the reason behind it.

You took advantage of his musing to break free of his grip. “I'm late for work. So if you'll excuse me?” You turned and hurried away from him.

You couldn't escape. He easily caught up. “You don't have the school's permission to work.”

Technically he didn't even have the school's permission to work, but he didn't need their permission. They couldn't stop him from working and they weren't stupid enough to try. He knew you weren't important enough for that.

“I don't.” You were still scowling. “It doesn't matter. My boss thinks I'm eighteen.”

Most people would be begging him not to tell the school about their job. It frustrated him that you weren't. He could easily stop you from bothering him now that he had this bit of blackmail, but instead of being pleased he was curious.

He found himself overcome with the desire to get back at you for all of your harassment. At school you were constantly in his space, irritating him and talking too much. Now it was his turn to disrupt your life.

He just hoped you didn't work at a strip club.

You stopped walking. “Why are you still following me?”

He smirked. He didn't have an answer for you, at least not one that he wanted to actually give you, but he knew that he didn't have to say a word. You said that you were running late for work, which meant that you couldn't afford to stand around staring at him all day.

“Whatever. You can't follow me in through the back door. It's employees only.”

Kaiba was torn as he watched you walk through a door. He didn't care that he wasn't allowed to go in through that door, except his pride kept him from being willing to go through an employee entrance. He took a good look at the building and decided to just walk around the block to the front entrance. It wouldn't be difficult to find.

When he reached the front of the building, Kaiba wasn't sure that he had the right door. He was faced with what looked like a bar. He looked around, he wasn't in the nicest part of Domino and he didn't want this showing up in tomorrow's papers, before walking in.

He could tell from the way the woman at the door looked at him that she recognized him. He cut to the chase and asked her if she knew you.

“Yeah, I know her. She's a waitress. Just started her shift if you're lookin' for her.”

He passed the woman some money. “Put me in her section.”

“Yes sir.” She winked and shoved the money down her shirt before leading him to a table.

He sat at his table and spent a moment observing his surroundings. This wasn't the type of place that he would normally be caught dead in. The restaurant's clientele was very working class, but at least they weren't paying any attention to him.

You approached his table, and the smile on your face was one that he hadn't seen before. You were irritated with him. **Perfect**.

“Hi, I'll be your waitress tonight. Can I take your order?”

He opened the menu. “Is there anything here worth eating?”

“No. I guess that means you're going to leave now. Bye.” You turned away.

“Wait.” His command stopped you from leaving. “Are you going to take my order or not?”

You faced him again, the smile still on your face. “Sure. What'll you have?”

“I haven't decided yet.”

You groaned in sheer frustration. “Do you at least know what you want to drink Kaiba?”

He enjoyed getting back at you. “Coffee. Black.”

You stared at him for a moment. “Our coffee tastes like shit.”

He was startled that you would actually warn him. He shot a pointed look at the surroundings. “I don't doubt that.”

“Okay. Don't say I didn't warn you.”

You left him and went straight over to take another order. He placed his briefcase on the table and took out his laptop. He didn't want to eat but he did plan on working here for a while so he could continue to annoy you just like you annoyed him.

He started his computer and watched as you took an order for a table full of men. When you were talking to him you'd casually leaned against the table. Now you were standing at a slight distance from the table and the smile on your face was carefully constructed. He understood why, the men were blatantly leering at you, and your outfit wasn't helping matters.

He began to work as he waited for you to bring his coffee. This place was a little louder than he would have liked, but he could still get work done.

You finally came back with the coffee. He took a sip. It was disgusting but consumable.

“Did you finally decide what you want to order?”

“I won't be eating. Just keep my coffee cup full.”

You frowned. “You know this isn't really a cafe.”

“I'm not blind.” He focused on you. “Keep it full, or I won't tip you.”

“I don't want your tip.” You stalked off.

He didn't mean to keep an eye on you, but he noticed when one of the men made an inappropriate grab at you. You danced away with the smile frozen on your face. It caught his attention.

He continued to keep an eye on you for the rest of the night. He said nothing to you when you came to his table to fill up his cup, but he watched you. The men who initially made a grab at you weren't the only ones who tried to pull something. At first men were just handing you slips of paper that you subtly threw away, but as it got later in the night the men got more and more aggressive.

He slowly grew to understand why his insults never bothered you. This was the sort of male behavior that you expected, and he knew that he wasn't intimidating compared to this.   


	7. Start Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "No One Looks As Good As You In That" by Parabelle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a continuation of the last one. (Okay, total continuation. I still insist there is no plot to be found here. >:/ )  
>   
> Enjoy~

_Let's be honest, no one looks as good as you in that._

This was easily your worst day on the job. It had nothing to do with the customers. They were about as rowdy as they normally were. No, it was because _Seto Kaiba_ had discovered where you worked.

Having him watch you all night made you feel ashamed of your job. Your uniform was incredibly revealing, and the place mostly served partially drunken men. You knew that your job wasn't glamorous, but it paid better than a normal waitressing job, and as long as you looked good in the uniform, they didn't bother checking your age.

His eyes followed you around all night, glaring, and you wondered what he was thinking. Did he think poorly of you for having this job?

He never gave away his thoughts. He stayed and worked through your entire shift, only leaving when you told him that your shift was over and he would be getting another waitress. He packed up, tossed some money down, and left.

You wrapped up, making sure that you accounted for all your tables. You threw on your jacket, said goodbye to everyone, and left through the back door.

There was a limousine idling on the curb near the building. It wasn't something that you would normally see on this side of town, and you had a feeling that you knew exactly who was inside. You slowly approached the car, relieved when the door opened to reveal Kaiba.

“Don't tell me you're turning into a stalker,” you teased.

He ignored your comment. “Get in.”

You were surprised. Was he actually offering you a ride home? He'd never been nice to you before. You smiled at him, but you weren't ready to get into the car yet. “What, harassing me at work wasn't enough, are you going to drive me somewhere and just leave me there?”

“I won't repeat myself again. Get in.”

You slid into the car next to him. Walking alone at night in your tiny shorts was your least favorite part of your job. You weren't going to make the mistake of letting him drive away, because you knew that he would. “I live nearby. It's really not that much of a walk.”

He reached over you and pulled the door, slamming it closed. “Stop being difficult.”

“But 'difficult' is my middle name.” You slid down into the cushions of the seat. The limo had a comfortable backseat for sure.

The limousine started moving.

“You haven't asked me where I live,” you pointed out.

Kaiba was looking out the other window. “I told the driver to take us somewhere to eat.”

“You know you just spent like eight hours at a restaurant right?” Sometimes he made it too easy to make fun of him. You tugged on his sleeve, trying to get him to face you.

“There was nothing edible there.” He looked down at your hand. “Stop that.”

You laughed and teasingly leaned against him. “So now you want to eat dinner with me? Well I didn't know you enjoyed our daily luncheons that much Kaiba.”

He didn't say anything, but he didn't push you away either. The two of you sat in a comfortable silence, until the limo pulled up in front of an incredibly expensive restaurant.

“Here? Kaiba, they probably wouldn't even hire me to _work_ here. They're never gonna let me in, especially not in these clothes.”

He gently pushed you out of the limo. “Don't worry.”

You got out and stood on the sidewalk. You were dressed in tiny little shorts and a tight white t-shirt that your job required you to wear. The jacket that you were wearing covered your restaurant's logo at least, but you were still way too under dressed for this sort of restaurant.

He got out and started walking into the restaurant. You grabbed his hand for reassurance and he scoffed.

“You've spent the past few weeks eating at my table, but you can't walk into a restaurant?”

Your mouth hung open in a grin. “Oh my gosh! You have a sense of humor!”

He just led you into the restaurant.

The hostess was quick to greet him. “Mr. Kaiba! Table for two?” She seemed confused to see you with him but remained professional.

“My usual table.”

“Follow me, sir.”

The two of you followed her through the restaurant, and you felt like everyone was staring at you. Not only were you dressed inappropriately, but you were with Seto Kaiba. Luckily Kaiba's usual table was toward the back of the restaurant and partially removed from the gaze of everyone else.

Once you were seated, you didn't bother looking at the menu. You knew you couldn't afford anything here, and you didn't even want to see how ridiculously overpriced it was.

“You're not looking at the menu.”

You wondered if Kaiba even knew how to word a question properly. “I'm not hungry.” It was a lie, but he didn't need to know that.

He let your lie slide, but when the waitress came by he ordered food for you.

“I told you I'm not hungry,” you whispered as she walked away.

“Then don't eat it.”

“I can't afford it!” You clenched your lips shut. You said that much louder than you intended.

He smirked. “I'm paying. Relax.”

You didn't want to relax. It made you uncomfortable to have him buy you dinner like this. Well, you could probably make him equally uncomfortable. “Is this a date?”

“No.” It was a knee-jerk reaction, and he put too much emphasis in it.

You grinned. Someone was a little too defensive. “Really? Because this feels like a date.”

“Don't read into it.” He wasn't even looking at you anymore.

You had an idea, but you were going to have to save it for the end of the night. So you temporarily changed the subject.

At the end of the night, when his limo pulled up in front of your apartment complex, you were feeling pretty good about the night. It wasn't a perfect date by any standards. You'd spent half of it teasing him mercilessly and the other half shoving food into your mouth.

Because as reluctant as you were to eat the food, it was in front of you and the most delicious thing that you ever had.

“Well, it's a shame this wasn't a date.” You leaned toward Kaiba. “Because if this were a date, I would kiss you right now, but it isn't.” You turned away from him and reached for the car door.

He grabbed your arm and yanked you back toward him. Then he kissed you. It was a sudden kiss, and it ended too quickly. 

"This still wasn't a date," he insisted after breaking away.

You just smiled at him. "Sure, Kaiba." You got out of the limo, but you had one final thing to say. "You know, denial is a very feminine trait. Not appealing in a man at all." You closed the door and dashed into your apartment complex before he could get out and say something in response.

Maybe tomorrow nothing would change between the two of you or maybe everything would change, but tonight was still a good night.


	8. Dramatic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "Boys Like, Girls Like" by Go Periscope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I enjoy writing troll!reader far too much. :) I hope you guys enjoy her, too!

_I grab you by the waist, and I'd love to get a taste._

It was inevitable for other people to notice your presence around Seto Kaiba. He set himself apart from the rest of the student body, but that didn't stop many of them from constantly watching him. Then you came along and began to sit near him, and even if you didn't always talk to him, you were still around him a lot.

It became a subject of gossip. People wanted to know what was going on between the two of you.

You weren't dumb. You knew that many of the girls wondered exactly why Kaiba would let **you** sit with him, and it didn't help that you refused to comment. What were you going to say? Kaiba didn't have a choice in the matter, and you just sat with him despite his protests. They might not believe you, but that was all there was to it, and you weren't sharing your 'secret' with them.

So you weren't surprised when you eventually found another girl sitting in your seat. Her jaw was stubbornly clenched, and you imagined that Kaiba probably just said something rude to her.

You paused at the edge of the table, momentarily unsure what you should do. “You're in my seat.”

“Don't have your name on it.”

She was right. It didn't. Well if she wasn't going to move... You put your stuff down on the table next to Kaiba's briefcase and studied his face. He was staring at his computer, looking frustrated. “Well I guess I have no choice then.” You perched on the arm of Kaiba's chair and leaned on his shoulder.

He was startled by your action, but he didn't move away.

It was exactly the reaction you expected. On the night of your not-date, he let you lean against him in the limo, so you assumed he would let you lean against him now. You were taking a risk, but it was calculated. Plus you were sure that he was annoyed by the girl in your usual seat. 

“What do you think will get her to go away?” you mock whispered to Kaiba.

“I already told her to get lost. She was too dumb to understand.”

You were pleased that Kaiba was going along with you. You were sure that he wouldn't ruin your plan to get rid of the girl, but didn't expect him to help you out. The girl must have really been annoying him. You cast a glance across the table at her. She was scowling and obviously offended but still seated.

You put a hand on Kaiba's cheek and turned his face so that the girl wouldn't be able to see his expression. “Maybe she'll leave if we start having sex on the table?”

You had to give Kaiba credit. Your suggestion didn't even phase him. He smirked and wrapped his arm around your waist.

That was when the girl reached her limit and stormed off.

You teasingly kissed his nose before pulling away. “See? I can be useful sometimes.”

He wiped his nose, and you laughed. Your kiss apparently offended him. You weren't surprised that he didn't like it, and you resolved to kiss him on the nose whenever you got the chance.


	9. Dirty Picture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "Dirty Picture" by Taio Cruz and Kesha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaiba's POV. Much later in the relationship.
> 
> Some suggestive content. Nothing too bad. This is troll!reader we're talking about after all. ;D  
>   
> Enjoy~

_Will you play along if I take a dirty picture?_

Seto Kaiba was working late at Kaiba Corp. again, but he was distracted by thoughts of you. He'd already called to let you know that he wouldn't be home for dinner, and you were okay with that.

Which was exactly the problem. You seemed far too okay with him staying late. It was suspicious. You were used to his habits, and you never protested or got angry with him when he stayed late, but he could always tell that you were disappointed. Tonight, you seemed oddly pleased. It was bothering him and he wanted to know _why_.

He could only imagine what would make you okay with him coming home late. Either you were out with your friends or cheating on him. Before he let his imagination get the best of him, he needed to call you again. Hopefully he could figure out what you were doing and get back to his work.

Before he could call, he received a text from you.

“I'm naked in bed and thinking of you.”

So that was your plan? He ignored your text; he wasn't going to let you distract him. He went back to doing his work.

Less than a minute later, his phone was informing him that he had another text. He tried to ignore it, knowing that it would be from you, but he couldn't stop himself from wondering what it said.

“Thinking of your long powerful fingers.”

Damn it! He would not let you get the best of him. The texts weren't even real. You were probably sitting in a bar and giggling over everything as you typed it into your phone. He decided to call your bluff. “I doubt you're even at home.”

He knew you too well to expect you to give up. He knew that you would probably text him back, but he didn't expect you to text him a picture. When he realized there was a picture, he should have put his phone down and ignored it. Instead he clicked on the tiny thumbnail.

In the picture you were standing in front of the full length mirror in his room. One of your hands held up your phone to take the picture and the other hand held up a sheet.

Just a single blue sheet. It wasn't even wrapped around you. You were holding it bunched to cover your chest, and the rest of it fell down the front of your body to cover the floor. Your shoulders were bare. His eyes traveled down to the leg sticking out from behind the sheet, and he stared at the little bit of your hip that was showing. You were, without a doubt, naked behind that sheet.

But the most distracting part of the picture was your face. You were grinning at the camera in a way that he knew all too well. It was the satisfied grin that made him want to grab you and—

He was getting too distracted. He needed to get back to his work.

Before he could put his phone back down you texted him once more.

“Just dropped the sheet. ;) Let me show you...”

He slammed his phone back down onto the desk. He would **not** look at another picture. He needed to get back to work. He put his fingers back down on the keyboard and stared at the computer screen.

The words and letters all blended together. He couldn't concentrate. He glanced back at his phone, but there still wasn't anything new from you. Shouldn't you be sending him the picture now?

What was taking so long? He picked up his phone and looked at his texts. Nothing new from you.

The moment he received a text he snatched his phone. He clicked on the thumbnail and found himself staring at a picture of your feet with a sheet pooled on the floor in front of them. He could imagine that little satisfied grin on your face, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to get any work done for the rest of the night. That smug smile would bother him until he did something about it. He began to pack up his stuff.

He was going to go home and _punish_ you for your little stunt. 


	10. Safer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "Safer to Hate Her" by You Me At Six.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for every fight, there are two sides. I really want to express that, and that's why this one is going to be a two parter. This is the first part, Kaiba's POV. The next part will be the reader's. This is set around the end of high school.
> 
> I hope Kaiba is still Kaiba. Keeping him in character for this one was complicated to say the least. Mostly I'm a little bit on the fence about the note I ended on. It's a complicated emotion. D: (I had a, "Did I just bite off more than I can chew?" moment writing it.)
> 
> Enjoy-ish.

_It'd be safer to hate her, than to love her and lose her._

Kaiba never gave much thought to where his relationship with you would go after graduation. It wasn't something he considered until you visited him at work one day and announced that you would be attending Tokyo University next year. When you came to his office, overjoyed at receiving your acceptance letter, he wasn't even sure what you were talking about until you shoved the acceptance letter in front of his face.

At first, he couldn't wrap his mind around the thought. “You didn't mention that you applied there.” You _should_ have mentioned it to him. You frequently referred to him as your boyfriend, and university applications were something that he would expect you to discuss with him.

You frowned. “You never asked.”

That wasn't the point. “I assumed you were going to Domino University.”

“But you never asked.”

He hated how difficult you were. This conversation was never going to go anywhere. He should just cut to the chase. “We might as well break up now.”

Your eyes widened, and your hand flew to your mouth as you took a step back. “Why?” Your hand turned into a fist, and you lowered it to your side. “Just because I didn't tell you something that **you didn't ask about**?” Your voice slowly took on a sharp edge, and he knew that you were angry.

Anger wasn't an emotion you expressed very often, and he wasn't sure what triggered it just now. “You'll be moving away. It's only logical that we stop seeing each other.” He didn't have time for a long distance relationship. He barely had time for you now, and almost all of the time he spent with you was at school.

“I'm just going to Tokyo. It's maybe an hour away on the train.” You crossed your arms and began to rock back onto your heels. “I was planning to visit you on weekends because I know you don't have time to visit me...” Something seemed to suddenly occur to you, and he watched your mouth twist upward into a smile. “If I never told you about Todai, I bet I could have told you that I was attending Domino University and you never would have noticed the difference anyway.”

He just stared as you turned and walked out of his office.

“I'll see you tomorrow at school, Kaiba.” The door slammed shut behind you.

He tried to go back to work, but your acceptance letter was still sitting on his desk. He picked it up and read it, remembering how happy you were when you first entered his office. You were so proud of being able to pass their entrance exams.

He understood that he should have been happy for you, but that wasn't how he felt. He couldn't stop himself from wondering why you wanted to leave him. You said that you planned to visit him. He didn't believe it. If you went to Tokyo University you would be surrounded by new faces. Men who didn't know that you were involved with him. Men who weren't afraid of approaching you.

Men who could possibly take you away from him. Men who had time to waste partying and going on dates with you.

He crumpled the acceptance letter. If you went to Tokyo, it would only be a matter of time until you left him. He would simply have to break it off with you first.

Everyone ended up alone, and he always knew that your invasion of his life was temporary. Tomorrow he would make it clear that your damnable persistence was no longer welcome in his life.

He released his fist, intending to throw away the crumpled letter in his hand, but he couldn't bring himself to drop the letter into the trash can. It fluttered to his desk, and he absentmindedly smoothed the wrinkles out.

He noticed your ranking for the entrance exam. You weren't first place, but you were still well within the top fifty. It was exactly what he would expect from his girlfriend.

He slid the paper into his briefcase and went back to work.


	11. Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics by "Stay With Me" by You Me At Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two. This is from your POV. :) 
> 
> Enjoy!

_How do I know if I should stay or just go?_

Sometimes you wondered if you would ever understand Seto Kaiba. After yesterday, you were convinced that he expected you to be able to read his mind. He said very little, answered all of your questions on a basic level without giving you any additional information, told you things at the last minute, never asked you how you felt about anything, but expected you to know exactly what he wanted.

Asshole.

He was ready to break up with you just because you were going to Tokyo for college? That was completely ridiculous. Tokyo wasn't even very far from Domino. You could visit him practically every single weekend. You were **planning** on visiting him every single weekend.

At lunch, you threw your bag onto the table. It thumped down with a bang that reflected your mood.

Kaiba simply raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing here?” He meant to sound intimidating you were sure, but you were too used to hearing that tone used on other people.

“Sitting like I do every single day. I sat here before we started dating, and I'm going to continue sitting here until we graduate.” Unless he moved and sat elsewhere. Then you would follow him like the pest that you were.

He opened his briefcase and tossed something across the table at you. “You left this in my office.”

It was your acceptance letter. It was crumpled and wrinkled, but you were surprised to see it still in one piece. “I know. I figured you would just throw it away.”

He didn't say anything, but he gave himself away by refusing to look at you.

You flattened out the paper as much as possible, but it was beyond looking pristine ever again. You stared down at it, deep in thought. You were proud of your achievement, even if nobody else cared about it.

Even if Kaiba didn't seem to care about it...

Maybe you really did need a new boyfriend. Yes, Kaiba could probably get into Todai with his eyes closed, but you still expected him to say some words of encouragement. You expected him to be a little bit pleased that you managed to get in. You worked hard for this, and even if your parents didn't care, you expected Kaiba to acknowledge that it was something to be proud of.

“You aren't ranked first.”

Your jaw dropped. You weren't expecting him to say something like that! You stood and grabbed your bag. “You know what? I think I'm going to go get something to eat.”

“Stop.” Kaiba was frowning. “I didn't...”

You remained in front of your seat. His hesitation was fascinating.

He finally seemed to figure out whatever he was thinking about. “Congratulations.”

You grinned as you sat back down in your seat. “And?”

“And what?” He seemed genuinely confused.

“And you'll look forward to all my weekend visits because you'll miss me next year?”

He scowled. “Don't push your luck.”

You just laughed. “I'm going to visit you all the time, whether or not you want to see me.”

“Great.”

You ignored his sarcasm, knowing he didn't mean it, and put your acceptance letter into your bag between your notebook and a textbook. He would get visits from you all the time. You already knew you were going to miss him.

You were going to school an hour away, but he wouldn't be getting rid of you that easily.

Somehow, you didn't think he minded.


	12. Crowd

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your POV. Much later in the relationship.
> 
> This one is kind of meandering and really dialogue heavy. But I still hope that it's cute.  
>   
> Enjoy~

_Have you ever been alone in a crowded room while I'm here with you?_

You couldn't help but be proud of your boyfriend. The two of had spent the past hour sitting in the stands for Mokuba's graduation, and he had yet to take out a laptop or his phone. He was being incredibly polite for once.

Except you actually wanted him to at least take out his phone. If he was doing something else, then you would be able to take out your book. Mokuba was the only one you cared about so it wasn't like you wanted to watch the rest of the ceremony.

Plus you had a bet with Mokuba. You only won the bet if Kaiba did work during the ceremony. You really thought that it would have been easy money since he worked through _your_ graduation (which also happened to be his own graduation, so it was almost a moot point), but damn it, your boyfriend was behaving out of character.

Eventually you decided to just ask him about it. “I'm surprised you aren't working.”

He growled. “Mokuba stole my stuff.”

“That cheating little brat.” He couldn't just take Kaiba's **stuff**. That was unfair! No wonder he was so confident about the bet!

Kaiba faced you and raised his eyebrow in a silent question.

“He bet me that you wouldn't work during his graduation.”

You saw the edge of Kaiba's mouth turn upward. He was amused, the traitor.

You sat back in your seat and pouted. It wasn't fair. If Kaiba couldn't work, then you would lose the bet by default.

Suddenly an idea hit you. You pulled out your phone and offered it to Kaiba.

“No.”

You couldn't believe he was actually turning down your phone! It was the state of the art Kaiba Corp. brand phone that he gave you. He could use it for work just as easily as his own phone.

He must have noticed your disbelief. “I'm not helping you win a bet.”

“But you'll help Mokuba?”

“I refuse to help either of you.”

He was being ridiculous. “Well you have to help one of us.”

He shook his head. “Mokuba outsmarted you this time.”

“He cheated!”

“Wouldn't offering me your phone count as cheating as well?”

He had a point. “Mokuba started it. I'm just making it even.”

“Why don't you read my business emails to me? Then Mokuba loses because I'm getting work done, and you lose since I'm not the one doing the work.”

You glared at him. “I don't want to lose. I want to win.”

“Final offer.”

He was such a jerk! Of course you would expect him to take his brother's side, but you were the one sleeping with him! You scooted closer to him and put a hand on his chest as you leaned over to whisper in his ear, “What do I have to do to get you to _take_ my phone and work?”

“That's not going to work.”

You ran your hand down his chest. He grabbed your hand with his and just held it.

“Oh fine.” You huffed. “At least hold this hand so it's less awkward.” You pulled your hand away from him and offered him the one next to him. He didn't take it so you just grabbed his. “Hey, if you aren't going to help me win you at least have to hold my hand.”

He didn't say anything, and the two of you sat hand-in-hand for the rest of the ceremony.

After the ceremony was over, the two of you left the stands to find Mokuba in the swarm of students. Since Kaiba and Mokuba were both extremely tall it didn't take them very long to spot each other.

“So?” Mokuba asked the moment he saw you.

“You lost.” You stuck your tongue out at him, causing Kaiba to pinch the bridge of his nose at your childishness.

Mokuba, on the other hand, was right at your level. “Nu-uh! I couldn't have lost.”

“And how do you know **that** huh? Because you cheated and took his stuff away!” you accused.

“Seto wouldn't have let me take his stuff if he **really** wanted to work. So I still win.” Mokuba stuck his tongue out at you.

“That's not true!” You turned to your boyfriend. “Right, Seto?”

“I'm still not getting involved.” He was covering his face as if he were ashamed to be seen with you. “You're both being immature.”

You tightened your grip on his hand and grinned. “Immature or not, you're stuck with us.”

Kaiba ignored you and asked Mokuba, “Are we done here?”

“Yeah, it's over. If it's okay with you I'm going to go to a party?”

Kaiba nodded. “Don't be home too late.”

You waved goodbye to Mokuba as Kaiba pulled you through the crowd.

“Don't forget about the money you owe me!” Mokuba called after you.

“I'm not giving you a cent!” you shouted back.

Kaiba started walking faster. “Having the two of you live under the same roof was the worst decision I ever made.”

“Oh I dunno. I think that Blue Eyes convertible was still a pretty bad idea.”

His only response was a sharp tug. Since the two of you were still navigating the crowd of students and parents, you decided to let the subject drop. It was always more fun to tease him in private when he actually let his emotions show.


	13. More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "More" by Parabelle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader's POV. College-aged. 
> 
> I'm really so happy that you guys are enjoying troll!Reader and Kaiba's POV and aren't too irritated by my jumping around on the timeline and my general refusal to pay the plot bunnies any mind. :D You keep me inspired.  
> Also, if you guys have any songs that you think might reflect this relationship, or inspire a good little chapter then feel free to suggest them to me. No promises since I already have a lot of songs on my playlist, but the more the merrier and I might use it. You never know.  
>   
> Since you guys are really responding to troll!Reader, have some more! ♥

_You always were the obstinate one._

The first time you found yourself in Kaiba's garage wasn't until well into your relationship. It never came up. Normally if you needed to go home from his mansion he would have a driver take you, and when he drove, he always just parked in front of his mansion and had someone park the car for him.

You finally got a glimpse at all of his cars in college. He offered to drive you to the train station, and you were in such a hurry that morning that you didn't want to wait for him to have someone bring the car around. You just wanted to get to the station so you wouldn't miss your train.

Your first comment upon entering his garage was, “Is THAT what I think it is?!” Nothing about the amount of cars in the garage. No, your eyes were held captive by the white and blue convertible. The top and sides were decorated to look like scales and the front was pointed like a head. The blue headlights served as the eyes.

Kaiba didn't respond to your question, but he didn't have to give you an answer. You _knew_ that it was supposed to mimic a Blue Eyes White Dragon.

He tried to walk away to a normal car, but you wouldn't let him get away that easy. “Do you actually have a car custom designed after a playing card?”

“Aren't you running late?” He snapped.

Not that late. Never would you be running too late to taunt him about this. “You do!” You clapped your hands together with delight. “I can't believe it. I'm dating a total geek!”

You suddenly found yourself pinned against a car and staring up into Kaiba's irritated eyes. You couldn't resist another jab at him. “I'm surprised nobody ever took your lunch money.”

“Shut up.” He kissed you. His mouth completely covered yours. Just in case you were thinking of saying anything else, he bit your lip. The moment you gasped, his tongue invaded your mouth and kept yours busy.

Then he pulled away from you and opened the car behind you. “Get in.” He walked around to the driver's seat.

You waited until he joined you in the car. “So what other embarrassing objects do you have lying around?”

He just groaned and started the car. If the way his foot slammed down on the accelerator was any indication, you would say that you were getting under his skin. It was his own fault. By rewarding your behavior in such a delicious way, he was really just encouraging you.

You grinned. “You know, next time you should try bending me over the hood.”

“If I do you won't enjoy it,” he threatened.

“I think I'd enjoy _anything_ you do to me.”

He just gripped his steering wheel tighter. 


	14. For You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaiba's POV. College-aged reader. :D  
>   
> Also, fluffy fluff. Life Lessons is putting me through the emotional wringer and I needed to write something a little less (a lot less) depressing. Yes.  
>   
> Enjoy~!

_For you, I would._

Kaiba stepped into the coffee shop. According to Mokuba, this was where you worked now, and Kaiba was relieved that it was a place where he could get a decent cup of caffeine. He'd spent the past few hours in meetings, and he was annoyed by all the bullshit other companies kept trying to feed him.

At least these meetings were a reason to be in Tokyo. The only thing that kept him from getting too irritated was the thought that he would be able to visit you after all the meetings were over.

It was an additional perk that you could now serve him decent coffee.

He pulled open the door and scanned the coffee house. It seemed to be populated with students quietly studying. The silent atmosphere was the exact opposite of your previous work environment, but it was still too crowded for Kaiba to be entirely happy with it. At least now he wouldn't have to worry about other men grabbing at you.

When he approached the counter, you weren't the one who greeted him. He glared at the man and asked where you were.

“Uh, she's on her break.”

Kaiba didn't see you anywhere in the coffee shop so he assumed that you were probably in the back. Ignoring the useless employee's protests, he let himself behind the counter and through the employee door.

You were back there staring at the microwave. You glanced at him before looking away. Then you did a double take.

One of your eyebrows stretched up. “My dreams of you don't usually involve sandwiches.”

He wasn't sure if he should be insulted that you only thought he would visit you in a dream or pleased that you dreamed about him. He settled for pulling you up from your seat and straight into a heated kiss.

As he kissed you, his hands slid down your back to grip the curve of your ass. He used it as leverage to pull you closer and bit down on your lip when you gasped. He pulled away. “Real enough?”

“Oh you tease!” You grabbed the front of his shirt. “But you're right, if this were a dream you'd be a much **better** kisser.”

He growled, but you just laughed and pulled away from him. You pulled your food out of the microwave and sat back down at the table. “So what're you doing here?”

He knew that he could lie and say that he was here to visit you, but you would see right through him. “I had business to take care of.”

You hummed. “So you'll be leaving soon?”

“No.”

“Oh, you still have some more business?”

Why were you making this so difficult? “I figured we'd spend some time together.”

You grinned, and it was worth it just to see that smile on your face. “You can wait until I'm done with work right?”

He nodded.

You finished off your sandwich and stood. “Well, my break is over, so I'll see you in a few hours?”

“I'm just going to stay here and work.”

You pulled him down for a quick kiss. “Just don't scare the customers away.”

He wouldn't... provided none of them tried to hit on you. He followed you back to the front of the coffee shop and claimed a table for himself. As he watched you work, he noted the gigantic grin on your face. It was worth dealing with all the idiots in Tokyo to be able to surprise you like this.


	15. Alexithymia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "Alexithymia" by Anberlin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In college, I used to study to the sounds of Kaiba insulting people (it motivates me) and 'thank you' is actually in his vocabulary. (I know right? I had to replay that to make sure I heard correctly.) Of course, it was immediately followed by, "You will be compensated for your trouble," which made it better.  
>   
> And Duelist Kingdom? Breaks my heart every single time. Stupid Pegasus.  
>   
> Enjoy~

_It's alarming how loud the silence screams._

Seto was thrashing around in his sleep again. His flailing had disturbed your rest, and the moment that you were awake enough to be aware of what was going on, you'd moved to the other side of the bed. As he moved around, you studied him from your position. His eyebrows were knit together in a deep frown, but since you couldn't see his eyes, you couldn't tell what sort of frown it was. His arms kept swinging out, and that was the only hint you had about what he was going through.

When he wasn't swinging his arms, they were at his side with clenched fists. Maybe it was frustration or maybe it was rage. Either way, you needed to wake him up.

These nightmares were affecting your sleep just as much as his. They kept waking you up at night and making you feel tired in the morning, so you could only imagine how badly they were affecting Seto. You wished that you could just reach out, smooth the frown lines from his face, and send the nightmare away. He slept so rarely that it seemed unfair that he was being plagued by whatever he kept dreaming about.

You had to be careful waking him up. His nightmares were violent, and he often believed that you were one of his enemies while he was still asleep. You cautiously reached out for his shoulder and tried to shake him. His hand wrapped around your wrist. His grip was firm, but he wasn't as strong in his sleep as he was normally. You might not be able to overpower him, but you were awake and had a clear idea of the situation.

You twisted the arm that he was holding and grabbed his wrist instead. Then, using all your body weight, you pulled his arm. You were able to pull him around and onto his stomach. At this point, you had to act quickly. You straddled his back and wrapped your arms around his body to keep his arms pinned to his side.

Seto was a light sleeper, and he almost always woke up at some point during this part. When you got tossed off of him and onto your back only to be pinned down by him, you knew that he was awake. At this point, he usually ended up kissing you in an attempt to keep you from asking what was bothering him.

Tonight he just rolled away from you and sat up. When he stood, you asked him where he was going.

“I need to see Mokuba.” He seemed distracted. His response was more reflexive than anything.

You reached out to grab his arm. “Seto, Mokuba is away at college.”

He seemed surprised by that information as he sat back down on the bed. It wasn't like him. That was when you made the connection. The nightmares had begun right after Mokuba moved into his college dorms. You wrapped your arms around Seto and pulled him back down into the mattress. “What's bothering you?”

He didn't respond. For a while, he just sat there. You might have believed that he was asleep, but his hand kept running through your hair. You didn't know if he was reminding himself that you were there or taking comfort in your presence. The comforting movement of his hand almost lulled you to sleep before he finally responded.

“How can I protect him when he's so far away?”

His response was quiet. You didn't know if those words were even meant for you to hear.

You didn't know what to say, but you wanted to comfort him. “I know you think of Mokuba as a little kid, but he's an adult now.” You propped yourself up on your elbows so you could look at Seto directly. “He can take care of himself, and if he runs into trouble, he knows that he can call you.”

“I know that. It's just...” Seto wouldn't look at you. It was his tell: the sure sign that he was feeling vulnerable and uncomfortable. You relaxed back against his side so that you weren't looking at him. Opening up was hard enough for him so you were going to make it easier in any way you could.

“It's normal to worry,” you told him. “More than normal all things considered. Just know that Mokuba needs to do this. He needs to be on his own to make his own choices. He'll be fine, and if he isn't, you can go in there and rip off the heads of anyone who messes with him.” You didn't know what else to say. “You raised Mokuba well. He's more than capable of facing the world.”

Seto didn't respond. You hoped that he was feeling a little bit better, but you didn't think that you actually succeeding in comforting him. You hated how useless you were in moments like this. You could frustrate Seto, and you could dissipate his anger with no problem, but when he needed you to make him feel better, you were useless.

His arms wrapped around you, and he held you tighter. “I'm...” He hesitated. “Thank you for being here.”

He didn't need to thank you for something like that. “I'll always be where you are.”

He slept peacefully for the rest of the night. You didn't know if you had anything to do with it or not. You were just thankful that he actually managed to get some rest.


	16. Echo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "Echo" by Trapt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter was serious I know. So please have another shot of troll!Reader. I think the next two will still be in high school.  
> When I'm done I might reorganize these so they go kind of in order. Maybe.  
>   
> Meanwhile, I hope you guys are enjoying these. I've started to think of them as like, Seto Kaiba shots. So come on in and have a hit. ;D  
>   
> High school. Kaiba's POV.  
> Enjoy~

_There is no time to waste asking why  
I'll run away with you by my side._

Kaiba knew how to read people, and you were no exception. Once you began to regularly spend your lunch breaks with him it was easy for him to learn how to read all of your expressions. He could tell what you were thinking down to the smallest detail.

So when you bounced up to the table and sat across from him with an ear to ear grin, he knew that you were pleased about something and that he wasn't going to like it.

“Kaiba, wouldn't you agree that we've been kind of dating?”

He was already wary of the suspicious quality to your voice. He wasn't going to agree to anything when you used that tone. “No.”

You refused to be dissuaded by his disagreement. “Then what would you call us?”

He didn't understand the question. He was Seto Kaiba, and you were a girl who somehow skipped her way into his life. The two of you together wasn't something that could be labeled. “Nothing.”

Now you were pouting at him. “Well I think of you as my boyfriend.”

He opened his mouth to protest the assignment of such an immature term to himself, but you ignored him and continued talking.

“So, I'd like you to go to the spring dance with me.” You held up two tickets. “Please?”

Some part of him actually wanted to say yes to you. You went to all the effort of buying the tickets and rather than hinting that you wanted to go, you were getting to the point and asking him. He appreciated how direct you were. Then the rest of him squashed that part that wanted to agree into smithereens and stepped on it. School dances were ridiculous and a waste of time. “No.”

You were frowning, but you didn't seem surprised by his response. “That's fine. I'll see you later then.” You stood up.

“Where are you going?” he demanded. Were you going to be angry with him now just because he wouldn't go to a stupid school dance?

“Well I have two tickets for the dance.” You waved the tickets at him. “Since you won't go with me I guess I need to go find a date. Who was that blonde guy that you were arguing with this morning? He's kind of cute.”

“Wheeler?!” You couldn't possibly be considering going with that mutt.

“Oh is that his name? Well I think I'm going to go ask him to go with me.” You were smirking at him, and Kaiba had no doubt that you really would try to convince Wheeler to go to the dance with you just to irritate him.

“Wait,” Kaiba growled. He was absolutely not going to let you go anywhere with the mutt. He was not okay with that. “Instead of going to the dance, let me take you out on a date.”

“Ooooooh.” You did a little happy wiggle. “A _real_ date? How exciting.”

Kaiba was relieved that you were seeing reason. His relief was short lived.

“Except I have tickets for the dance. So, will you go to the dance with me or not Kaiba?”

He hated how stubborn you were. If he said no he just _knew_ that you would end up going to the dance with the dumb dog, and you would probably send him pictures too. You were just so frustrating.

“Stop trying to stare me down darling,” you mockingly sang.

He growled. This was going to be so irritating. “Fine. I'll go with you. But only for an hour.”

You leaned on the table, moving your face closer to his own. “I don't suppose I could bargain for more time?”

“No.” Absolutely not.

You pouted as you sat back down in your seat. “Oh fine then, but you have to go out to eat with me beforehand **and** I get to choose where we go.” Kaiba raised his eyebrow and you shook your head. “And no I won't tell you where I want to go. I asked you to be my date, so I get to plan everything okay?”

No it was not okay. You were not the kind of person with whom he felt comfortable entering a blind agreement. He felt like you would end up taking him to a children's restaurant just to amuse yourself.

You reached over to lightly hit his hand. “Oh just agree to have dinner with me. What's the worst that could happen?”

The worst? Knowing you, he didn't even want to **consider** that. “Only if I'm allowed to drive.” If he was driving then he could always veto your decisions.

“Sure. It's not like I have a car.” You grinned. “You'll dress nicely for the dance right? I'm so excited! My first dance! It's going to be fun!”

Well, he wasn't looking forward to the event, but at least you were.


	17. Constellations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "Notes in Constellations" by Chiodos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader's POV. High School.  
> This is easily the longest vignette so far. Easily. And I split it into two parts. The next part is Kaiba's POV. I wanted to do the school dance from both of their perspectives. (I recently read "Flipped" and omg I wish I were that great at writing in two distinct voices. It's kind of inspiring.)  
> Enjoy~

_We dance around, just like constellations._

Kaiba was supposed to pick you up for dinner around seven, so you were ready by six forty-five. He would be exactly on time, maybe a little bit early, and he hated waiting. Since he didn't want to go to the dance in the first place, you weren't going to make him wait and run the risk that he would just leave.

It was a minute before seven when he called to let you know that he was waiting for you out front. You said goodbye to your family and slipped out the door. His car was idling on the curb right outside the main door to the building. You were surprised that he decided to drive himself rather than use one of his limousines.

You slid into the front seat and looked him over. He was wearing a dress shirt and slacks. “You look nice.”

He ignored you. “Where are we going?” You almost laughed. It was obvious he was still annoyed that you refused to tell him where you were eating dinner.

Well, you had a good reason for withholding that information. “You know that little French restaurant near the school? Find parking near it please.”

He nodded, probably pleased with what he assumed was your choice for dinner, and put his car back in drive. He took off, with barely a glance at oncoming traffic, and put his foot down on the gas. This was your first time sitting in a car while he was driving it. It was a little thrilling and terrifying at the same time. He drove quickly, with no regard for the speed limit, and it wasn't very long before the two of you were parked in front of the French restaurant.

You didn't bother waiting to see if he would open the door for you. You got out of the car and waylaid him before he made it to the entrance of the restaurant. “We're not eating there,” you informed him as you took his arm and began to tug him down the street.

“Then why did you tell me to park near this restaurant?”

You smiled up at him. He was already annoyed that you wouldn't tell him where you were taking him for dinner, but now he was annoyed that you were forcing him to walk somewhere. “Because I know you. If I told you where we were going, we would never actually get there.”

“If you know I won't like the restaurant, why are you taking me there?” He stopped in the middle of the street and refused to continue on any further.

He was such a child sometimes! You turned to face him so you could look directly into his eyes. “I didn't say you won't like it. You'll just refuse to go there. Just trust me. Please?”

He looked away from you and scoffed. “Whatever.”

You tugged at his arm again, and you were delighted to find that he was willing to allow you to pull him in the direction of the restaurant. The pizzeria was on the same block as the French restaurant that you told him to park in front of and the walk was short.

“Here we are!” you announced before shoving the door open and pulling him inside the pizzeria.

All of the restaurant's tables were completely packed with Domino High students. It was a popular place to hang out and eat before every dance thanks to its location near the school and inexpensive but delicious food. This wasn't your first time coming here before a dance; it was practically a tradition. You waved to a few of your friends as you left a reluctant Kaiba at the door and walked up to the register. You gave the boy your name and asked if your order was ready.

It wasn't long before Kaiba joined you. “We're not eating here.”

“You're cute when you're demanding.” You fondly pat his shoulder. He growled, probably not appreciative of being called cute. “Don't worry, we're not actually eating here, but we are getting our food from here. I already called and placed my order.”

“The sooner we can get out of here, the better.” His voice was harsh. Much harsher than you were used to hearing from him.

Surprised at this new tone, you looked up at him, but he wasn't looking at you. You followed his gaze to find him glaring at a table of people. You studied them, curious. You knew that the short guy with the ridiculous haircut was Yugi Mutou, but you didn't know the names of anyone else at the table. You did, however, recognize that blonde boy that Kaiba seemed to hate.

Kaiba seemed to really look down on that guy. You'd heard some of the names that Kaiba called him when they were forced to interact. So you knew that it probably bothered Kaiba to be eating in the same place as him. Luckily, you were never planning to stay and eat here.

The boy behind the counter was back with your order. “One medium pizza with everything?”

“Yep, that's right!” You passed him the money for your pizza.

“Everything?” Kaiba inquired.

You took your change and grabbed the pizza. “You can pick off whatever you don't like. Let's go.”

He was more than ready to leave and led you out of the pizzeria. He turned to make his way back to his car, but you stopped him. “No, we're not going that way!”

“What now?” he snapped.

You pointed across the street. “Into the park!”

“No.”

“Oh just trust me!” You looked both ways before dashing across the street.

He reluctantly followed you. His curiosity was probably outweighing everything else at this point. He'd come this far and he wanted to know what you had planned.

You led him out to the empty playground. There were little bridges connecting the various playground equipment and you put your pizza up on a bridge as you climbed up onto the equipment. You sat down on the bridge with your legs dangling over the side and pushed open the pizza box. Sitting on the bridge this way, you were actually at eye level with Kaiba. 

You grinned at him. “Are you going to join me up here?”

“No.” He seemed completely disgusted by the idea. “You know that's for _children_ , right?”

You reached out over the ropes running across the side of the bridge and grabbed Kaiba's tie. You pulled him closer and planted a kiss on his lips, delighted that you didn't have to force him to bend down for once. Your kiss was short and playful. You pulled away before he even had a chance to respond. “Well at least have a slice of pizza!”

He leaned onto the bridge, placing each hand on next to your hips and encasing you between his arms. “You're ridiculous.”

“Don't make me feed you,” you taunted, holding out a slice for him.

He grabbed the slice and studied it before taking a bite. You grabbed a slice of your own and bit into it. He remained impassive as he ate his slice. You didn't bother asking if he was enjoying it or not. He wouldn't tell you if he did like it. Besides, it had to be at least okay or he wouldn't continue to eat it.

You finished your first slice in companionable silence before leaning back and lying down on the bridge. “It's nice to just sit here and look up at the sky at night,” you told him. “You can see the stars easily.”

“I hope you didn't drag me out here to look at _stars._ ”Kaiba took another piece of pizza and leaned back against the bridge.

You grinned. “Of course not. I just dragged you out here because it's peaceful. I know how much you hate being around other people.”

He didn't say anything. He just continued to eat his slice of pizza. You took another one of your own and ate it as you looked up at the constellations.

“It's better than eating at that restaurant. Even if the surroundings are childish,” he finally admitted.

“Hey! You play a children's card game!” you teased. “So I don't think you have any room to judge, Mr. Kaiba.”

“Duel Monsters is not a game for children. It requires an ability to form complex strategies.”

“Sure sure.” You weren't going to get into that argument with him, again. You decided to change the subject. “Do you know any constellations?”

“A few,” he admitted, but didn't elaborate.

You decided not to ask. It was okay to just look up at the sky and make up your own constellations. “Are you sure you won't join me?”

“No. Absolutely not.”

You pouted. He was no fun. “Will you at least push me on the swing?”

“I'll push you off that bridge.”

You covered your grinning mouth. He was joking with you! Then he had to be in a good mood. You sat up, pulling your legs back onto the bridge, and moved over so you were behind him.

“What are you doing?” He was suspicious, but he kept his back turned toward the bridge.

You ducked under the rope, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and your legs around his torso. “Giddy up!”

He wrapped his arms around your legs, supporting you. “You know I could drop you into the sand,” he threatened as he pulled you away from the bridge.

“You could, but I'm going to keep my arms wrapped around your neck. I'll take you down with me!”

He scoffed. “Your threat doesn't scare me.”

“But you aren't dropping me.” You nuzzled the side of his neck as you clung to his back.

“That tickles,” he complained.

You just hummed against his neck and closed your eyes as he carried you. It was nice.

“Let go,” he ordered.

“What? Why?” You opened your eyes and looked up. He'd carried you to the swings! “Are you going to push me?!” You jumped off his back, excited. You _loved_ swings. You sat down on one of the swings, facing away from him, and you couldn't wipe the grin off your face.

His hands gripped the chain of the swing. “How do I end up in these situations with you?” he muttered as he pulled you back.

He released, and you couldn't stop yourself from shouting, “Whee!” You swung up briefly, before swinging back down. His hands found their way to your back and then you were going back up again. You flew higher this time. Then you swung back down and he pushed you up again. You went higher and higher each time, the cold night air rushing past your face and ruffling the skirt of your dress.

“This is so much fun!” you shouted as the swing finally sung as high as it could go.

“Does that mean we can skip the dance?”

Your grin turned into a frown. “No. Are you trying to distract me?”

He grabbed the swing with one hand and wrapped his other arm around both you and the swing, halting the swing's motion and pulling you against him. “If I really wanted to distract you, the dance would be the last thing on your mind.” His pressed his lips to the junction of your neck and shoulder, and you had to concede that he had a point. He could distract you away from anything.

Except, this time your mind was made up. You bought the tickets earlier in the week and you were really looking forward to the dance, even if he would only be staying with you for an hour. You turned in the swing so that you could meet his lips with your own. The kiss was light at first, but he pressed his lips against yours aggressively and held you tight so you wouldn't fall off the swing. You pulled away when he began to nip at your bottom lip.

“Time to go to the dance,” you teased.

He groaned. “Fine. I'm setting a timer when we get there.”

“I figured you might.” He was pulling away but you managed to give him one last, teasing kiss on his chin as he stood. His arms weren't around you while you leaned up to do so; you almost lost your balance and face planted in the sand. He quickly caught you and held your shoulders to keep you balanced as you stood.

“Thank you for spending tonight with me, Kaiba.” Not expecting a response, you danced off to grab the pizza box, there was still some pizza left and you weren't going to leave trash behind. He didn't respond, and wouldn't have even if you'd stayed standing next to him, but you did miss the way he awkwardly looked down at his shoes.


	18. Cassiopeia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "Cassiopeia" by Last Winter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaiba's POV. High school.  
> The song for this chapter is really short. (Less than a minute.) But it's pretty and I think the lyrics are perfect.  
>   
> This is the last one in this little trilogy. :) Enjoy~

_You throw your diamonds in the sky tonight._

Kaiba pulled his car into the school's parking lot, still regretting his deal with you. He couldn't recall what possessed him to agree to attending this stupid school function, but he wouldn't go back on his word.

He began to reconsider that stance the moment he opened his car door. The dance was located in the school's gym, but Kaiba could already hear the bass of the music from the parking lot. He didn't know if he could actually stay in the gym for an hour if the music was that loud. It wasn't even decent music.

“We could do something else instead,” he suggested.

You just grabbed his arm and tugged on it. “No way mister. You owe me an hour, and I'm going to collect.”

He allowed you to tug him toward the gym. The music continued to get louder and louder, and Kaiba was already beginning to wonder why you were trying to punish him.

A line of people were waiting outside the gym. At the front of the line, a girl was taking everyone's tickets before letting them into the gym. Kaiba hated lines. He tried to pull you to the front of the line but you dug your heels in and refused to move.

“What are you doing? We can't cut in line!”

You kept your voice down, but Kaiba was aware of all the students staring at the two of you. He was sure they were eavesdropping. “Of course we can.” He tried to tug you to the front of the line again, but you stubbornly maintained your position in line. He could have forced you to the front, he was much stronger than you were, but he refrained.

“Look, the line is moving pretty quickly. Let's just stand in it.” You grinned up at him.

He looked away from you, unable to face that smile. “Fine.” He didn't understand why you were in such a good mood tonight. You seemed to be genuinely enjoying his company even though he wasn't doing anything more than complaining. “I'm setting my timer now. If you want to waste part of your hour in this line that's your decision.”

You just laughed. “I expected you to already have a timer going.”

He took out his phone and set its timer for an hour. You just watched him, the smile firmly etched on your face. You were holding his hand now and you squeezed it. He looked down at you and raised an eyebrow.

You shook your head. “It's nothing. I'm just still surprised that you're here with me.” Your grin was fully stretched across your face now. It looked... ridiculous. He couldn't imagine what was causing you to grin like that.

The two of you reached the front of the line, and the girl taking the tickets just stared at him. You offered her the two tickets, but she was too distracted with _staring_ to notice.

Kaiba growled. “Take the tickets.”

The girl's eyes widened as she grabbed the tickets. “Go right in.”

Kaiba entered the gym with you and decided that this would be the last school function that he allowed you to coerce him into attending. The music was too loud. As far as he could tell, everyone was crowded together on the gym floor and pressing their bodies against each other.

Kaiba refused to let complete strangers press their bodies against his. It was a repulsive idea. So when you asked him if he would dance with you, his knee-jerk reaction was a resounding no.

You frowned. “I should have expected that.” You looked out at the swarm of bodies. You bit your lip, and Kaiba knew that you were thinking about something. Knowing you, you were trying to figure out a way to get him to dance.

You were wasting your time. He wouldn't be participating in that clothed orgy.

You began tugging his hand. Curious about where you might be leading him, he followed you along the edge of the gym. You stopped once you reached the edge of the stands before beginning to climb them. You led him over to the highest corner of the stands, as far as possible from the speakers, and sat down.

He maintained a standing position, so you tugged on his arm. “Sit next to me!”

Kaiba didn't like the idea of sitting on the stands. They didn't look dirty but he was sure they were. He slowly settled next to you.

Once he was seated, you leaned against his shoulder and pointed toward the dance floor. “Isn't that that blond guy you don't like? He looks like he's having a seizure.”

Kaiba's eyes scanned the area you were pointing toward and found the dumb mutt. He scoffed. The way that the mutt appeared to be trying to dance did look like he'd lost control of his limbs. His arms were flailing and he seemed to be kicking his legs out. Kaiba smirked.

“You could show him how a man should really dance.” Your mouth was so close that Kaiba could feel your breath against his ear.

So that was your plan. He turned to face you, your noses nearly clashing. “None of the boys here know how a man should really dance.”

Your eyes were locked on his own as you leaned forward. Your mouth was so close to his that he could easily kiss you. He could tell from your sudden intake of air that you felt victorious.

“This music isn't appropriate for dancing.” Kaiba leaned back.

You weren't expecting him to move so suddenly, and your body swayed forward and toward him, slightly mirroring his movement. You blinked and seemed a bit lost for a moment. Then you regained your composure. “If they play a slow song, will you _please_ dance with me?”

Kaiba didn't want to do the sort of dancing that hormonal teenagers did. His refusal was interrupted by the sudden placement of your hand on his chest. You were looking up at him and frowning. “Please Kaiba?” Your hand grabbed a fistful of his shirt. “I'm begging you to just dance with me for one song. Please?”

He couldn't say that he wasn't enjoying this. Perhaps he could dance with you just once. If it was a slow song, he might be able to lead you in the motions of a proper dance. “Fine. One dance.”

“Yay!” You kissed him quickly on the cheek before jumping up and nearly flying off the stands. He watched as you skipped and danced your way over to the DJ. He should have expected you to do that. Clearly you didn't want to run the risk that a slow song wouldn't play before the hour was up.

Kaiba glanced at his timer. That was smart of you. There was a good chance that a slow song wouldn't have played in the next forty minutes.

A loud clang caught his attention, and he looked down to see you jumping back up toward him. You were leaping from seat to seat, and Kaiba braced himself. He was ready to jump up and grab you if you lost your footing.

You made it back to him without incident. You grabbed his arm and tugged. “The next song is going to be a slow one!”

“It's not playing yet,” Kaiba pointed out.

You pouted. “Well, it'll start soon. C'mon.”

He climbed down with you, keeping his hand wrapped around your wrist to stop you from leaping across the seats again. You were overexcited, and if he let you just jump around, there was a good chance that you would hurt yourself. He maintained his grip on you, stopping you from getting too close to the gyrating bodies until the current song ended.

Just like you claimed, a much slower song began to play. Taking the lead, he guided you into an open space and glared at everyone nearby. He pulled you into the proper position before beginning to lead you in a basic waltz. Years of dance lessons paid off as he was able to expertly lead you around in a small circle. You had no idea what you were doing, but thanks to his lead, you didn't stumble once. You were smiling the entire time, and Kaiba decided that you were his favorite dance partner. Dancing with you was much better than dancing with those women who were continually talking and trying to inappropriately push their bodies against his own.

The next song was a slower song as well. Kaiba might have assumed that the first song was still playing if he hadn't paid close attention to the music. Except he was paying attention, so he noticed when the song ended and pulled you off the dance floor.

“Hey! The song is still playing!”

“It's a different song.”

The pout on your face gave it all away. You knew it was a different song, and you probably planned to have two slow songs play in a row. He wouldn't put that past you. You tugged his arm. “Just one more dance?”

“No.” He was aware of how much attention the two of you were receiving, and he didn't like it. Newspapers were beginning to notice the amount of time you spent with him, and he didn't want to give them any ammunition. Any of his classmates could end up talking about tonight with a reporter.

You pulled away from him. “Then I'm going to find someone else to dance with.”

He grabbed you, pulling you against him. He wondered if you were even aware of the precarious situation that you were currently in. Any day now the news might decide to declare that you were his girlfriend and your life would instantly become complicated. “One day you might find yourself getting punished for all your teasing.”

You just laughed that carefree teasing laugh that he both hated and hoped you never lost. “It's okay if you're the one punishing me.”

He couldn't stop himself from reacting to your words. He smothered his reaction as much as possible since the two of you were still in public, but he still felt himself react. He hadn't meant his words the way that you took them. “No more dancing tonight.”

“Tonight.” You bit your lip in thought. “That implies you'll dance with me again.”

It did. “I will in a more appropriate venue.”

A smile spread across your face. Kaiba didn't know why, but he was pleased that you seemed to be smiling a lot tonight. He didn't like your choice of activities, but at least you were enjoying the night.

“Is that a promise?”

Kaiba didn't make promises that he couldn't keep. "Yes." 


	19. Poison & Wine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "Poison & Wine" by the Civil War.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaiba's POV. High school.  
> I wanted to play with Kaiba's insecurities. Many times I almost decided that I bit off more than I could chew. (As in, "What were you thinking trying to pull this off from Kaiba POV you silly girl? Why would you inflict this upon yourself?") But I think I prevailed!  
>   
> Enjoy~

_I know everything you don't want me to._

It was the end of a long day of work. Kaiba was pleased to finally have all of the quarterly reports completed. He stood and stretched, reaching up as far as his arms would go, before his attention zeroed in on the couches in his office.

You were curled up on one of the couches, probably asleep. The skirt you had to wear for school was hiked up and his gaze drifted over your bare legs. He'd completely forgotten that you were present. His eyes drifted down to his clock, and he wondered how long you had been asleep. After school you'd caught a ride with him, claiming that you wanted help with your English essay. You'd been working in his office ever since. He was surprised that you were still here.

He walked over and looked down at all the work spread around you. You seemed to be using your calculus textbook as a pillow and your homework was in a mess on the floor. He picked a pile of papers up from the table. It seemed like you'd completed your English essay at least.

You never even asked him for help. You spent the entire afternoon working on it and you never once said anything to him. He skimmed through it and realized that you'd circled areas that you planned to ask him about.

He got to the end and discovered your notes. You weren't planning on asking him about anything. Instead you were just going to look it up. He dropped the papers back onto the table. He didn't understand why you kept insisting on working in his office when you never asked him for help. What was the point of asking if you could study with him when you were planning on going home and looking up the answers to your questions?

He reached down and shook you. “Wake up.”

You groaned and tried to roll away from him, but the couch wasn't big enough for that. “Dun wanna.”

“You still have work to finish.” Your math homework was only partially completed and you still needed to work on your English essay since you were too good to ask him for help. Plus he wasn't staying in his office. “I'm going home.”

You rolled onto your back, eyes now open, and stared at him. “Can I go with you?”

“No,” he snapped. He didn't know why you were even asking him that. “I'll take you home.”

You didn't say anything as you slowly sat up and began to collect your stuff, but you also didn't bother hiding your unhappiness either.

He was ready to leave before you and impatient to go home. You were slowing him down, and he didn't even understand why you were in his office in the first place.

“Why do you even bother coming here?” He snapped. “You should just go home after school.”

You stopped what you were doing and stared at him. He watched his words sink in. You didn't bother hiding how much they hurt. “But I like working with you.” You seemed to be pleading with him. Your words took on a begging note but he didn't understand why.

“You're not working with me. You never need my help.” It was the same whenever you did homework in his office. You always claimed you wanted his help but never asked him anything while you were working.

“I didn't want to distract you from your work with anything unimportant...” You trailed off and he could tell that you were confused.

It made no sense to him. If you were doing work with him then that should mean that you were trying to take advantage of his intelligence. Except you never asked him for help. What did you expect to gain from this arrangement? “You're clearly not here because you want my help. What do you really expect to gain from coming to my office after school?”

You released a short giggle before you covered your grinning mouth with your fingers. “You're an idiot Kaiba. I don't work with you because I want you to do my homework! I do homework with you because I like being around you.” Your eyes widened, and Kaiba realized that you hadn't meant to blurt that last part out. You were still looking at him but nervously biting your lip.

“That's a lie.” He couldn't stop the accusation. Sitting with him while he worked had to be boring. He was hostile and closed to conversation. He knew that he was terrible to be around while he was working. You didn't have to lie and pretend to like it.

Your eyes narrowed and, for a moment, he thought you might get angry. Then you sighed. “Do you know what my favorite moment was today?”

He just raised an eyebrow. He was good at reading people, but he couldn't read your mind.

“I really liked listening to you yell at that person in... was it Chinese?” You walked toward him as you spoke.

“Korean,” he corrected. One of Kaiba Corp's Korean distributors had messed up a shipment order. He wasn't surprised you remembered that. He'd been on the phone for an hour yelling at the man and trying to clean up the mess.

You hummed and moved close enough to run your hand along his arm. “I think it's sexy when you yell at people. Especially when I have no idea what you're saying.”

Kaiba wondered if he could explain just how wrong that was.

“Did you know you run your hand through your hair when you're really frustrated?”

“No.” He wasn't. Not that it seemed like something that should matter.

“You do.” You nodded, seemingly to yourself. “And you tap your fingers against your desk when you've read a really dumb report. I wasn't sure about that at first, but after the tapping, you always call someone on your phone and yell at them.”

He was beginning to wonder why you were paying attention to all of his mannerisms. He hadn't realized that you spent so much time watching him. Well, he had nothing to hide.

“I like learning new facts about you, Kaiba. It helps me get to know you better.” Your hand slid to the back of his neck. “And listening to you yell at someone in Korean is always fun.”

Your hand slid into his hair, and Kaiba couldn't believe what you were saying. Was it really that simple? Could you honestly just be interested in getting to know him?

You were trying to pull his head down, but he had one last question. “Why?”

Your smile was soft. Not the mocking smile that usually found its way onto your face but a genuine smile. “Because I care about you. Because I think you're interesting. Because I want you in my life.” You tried to pull his head down with a light tug. “Would you like me to compose a list?” That genuine smile was beginning to twist into a mocking smirk.

Kaiba decided that it would be best if he just kissed you now, before you had the chance to completely ruin the moment.


	20. Sail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader's POV. High school. The first time reader and Mokuba meet.  
>   
> Also, not your typical first meeting. I think you guys know by now that I adore playing with Mokuba's character though.  
>   
> And reader... makes a very big mistake at the end of this chapter no?  
>   
> Enjoy~

_This is how I show my love._

Bored. Bored. Bored. So very bored.

It was a Friday afternoon, and your boyfriend was in a meeting. He let you into his office before leaving you. He didn't even bother pretending that he wanted to stay and keep you company. You wanted him to go out to a movie with you, but he said that he had too much work. Then he ordered you not to touch anything while he was gone.

You didn't know if he expected you to actually obey him. It was already too late. The first thing you did once he was out that door was write messages on some of his post-its. He would find them at random, and it was unlikely that you would be around when he did.

Now you were spinning around in his desk chair. It was disappointing that you couldn't think of something a little more inspired than writing on random post-its. You never expected him to just leave you alone in his office like this, and as a result, you had no plan of attack.

You spun around in his desk chair. At first, you circled around and looked at his office for ideas. Now you were just absentmindedly spinning around. As much as you loved playing pranks, you would prefer to spend the evening with your boyfriend.

“Who are you?”

You stopped spinning and turned the chair to face the speaker. A little boy was standing in the doorway of Kaiba's office. His messy black hair fell into his face and stuck up at odd angles. He looked less like he belonged in the CEO's office than you did.

He was trying to glare at you. His hair ruined the effect, but you knew that glare. That glare belonged in this office.

“How did you get in here?” he demanded, hands on his hips.

You decided to throw the kid a bone. “Kaiba let me in.” Maybe that would clear things up.

“That still doesn't tell me who you are.”

The kid was a bit of a snotty brat. You raised your eyebrow, but otherwise you remained polite as you introduced yourself. “We're classmates,” you elaborated.

“Then tell me where Seto is.”

The kid was demanding. It was pretty obvious that he had to be the younger brother that Kaiba had mentioned on the rare times you coerced him into talking about his life. You propped your feet up on Kaiba's desk and sat back in the chair. “He's in a meeting.”

The kid seemed surprised by your actions but didn't comment on them. “Do you know when he'll be back?”

“Dunno. He left maybe fifteen minutes ago.” You wanted to say it was more like an hour, but that was your boredom talking.

“Why did he leave you alone in his office?”

You wondered if Kaiba had ever mentioned you to his little brother. It felt like the kid had no idea who you were, and that was unsettling. Why wouldn't Kaiba tell his brother about his girlfriend? Yes he said that he would be keeping you a secret for as long as possible, but you really did expect him to at least tell his only family.

You just stared at the boy in the doorway. You couldn't tell him who you were if he didn't already know. “We've worked together on a bunch of projects. I guess he knows that I'm smart enough not to do something stupid.”

The kid saw right through your weak excuse. “You're in his chair.”

It was time for a change in tactics. “You haven't told me who you are. How do I even know I should tell you anything?”

“I'm Mokuba Kaiba.”

Check yes on the Kaiba sense of self-importance. “Well, Mokuba, are you looking for your brother for anything important? I'm sure his secretary knows where he is.”

“No. I can wait.” The kid wandered over to the couch and pushed your bag off of it. He ignored your protest and flopped down onto the cushions. He snatched the remote off the table and turned the TV on.

You couldn't remember how old Kaiba said his brother was, but he didn't look very old to you. He was short so, considering how tall Kaiba was, he probably had yet to really hit puberty. Plus he seemed to be in that adolescent phase where he thought he was the most important person in the world.

Of course that could just be his family ties with Kaiba showing. Kaiba seemed to see himself as the most important person in the world too. (It didn't help that he was partially right about it.)

“Do you want to go see a movie with me?” You wanted the kid to like you, and you wanted to go see a movie. It seemed like a reasonable question.

“Are you asking me out because my brother keeps rejecting you?”

Brat. He could buy his own popcorn now. “No. I'm asking you to see a movie with me because your brother won't be done with work for hours and I'm bored. You look bored too.”

“Fine, but I get to pick the movie.”

You rolled your eyes. That was expected. Whatever. It was something to do.

Plus Kaiba would not be happy when he came back and found twenty-one post-its spelling out, “I kidnapped your brother,” on the surface of his desk. You just wished you could be in the room to see his reaction when he read it.

Hopefully he recognized your handwriting.


	21. Mess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "The Art of Living" (also the title song) by The Audition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Not a continuation of the last one. Sorry! These kind of go where the muse takes me.**  
>  Kaiba's POV. Much later in the relationship.  
>   
> Enjoy~

_You went and got yourself destroyed._

“So you won't be home tomorrow?”

Your question was soft and tentative, two things that were uncharacteristic of you and set off warning bells in his head.

“What's wrong?”

You were silent on the other end, and he was concerned that something was happening.

Finally, you spoke. “Nothing. I just really thought that you would be home by tomorrow.”

The long moment of silence gave away your lie. Kaiba didn't understand why you wouldn't tell him what was bothering you. This was the first time that you'd withheld information, normally you told him too much, and he couldn't stop himself from wondering if maybe you were finally sick of him.

“I'll be back by the weekend.”

He heard a thump and called out your name, worried about what might have caused that noise.

“I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just dropped the phone.” There was a brief pause. “I just can't believe you forgot...” You sighed. “Nevermind. I'm tired. It's late here and I think I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight.”

You didn't wait for him to say anything before hanging up but that was the least of his concerns. When you talked to him over the phone, you always, _always_ , told him that you loved him before hanging up. He never told you, but when he was overseas it was comforting to know that you were at home waiting for him.

Somehow, he didn't think that you were waiting for him now.

This wasn't the first time that he had been forced to extend a trip out of the country, but this was the first time that you had become upset over it. He brought up tomorrow's schedule on his computer, wondering if he had plans with you that he had forgotten.

His heart dropped into his stomach. “Shit.” He closed his eyes and pressed his fingers to his temple. How could he fix this?

If he took the jet now, he could probably be back in Japan before noon.

He didn't have a present for you. He completely forgot, and now he didn't have a present.

He could figure out something on the jet ride home. He could call all his business partners and tell them that he was pushing the remainder of the meetings back by two days. He would spend your birthday with you, and then fly back out the next day.

Kaiba threw everything important into his suitcase and called his driver. He needed to get back to Japan.

He was relieved when he got home and discovered you still in bed, asleep. The entire jet ride back to Domino he'd worried about finding you. His worries about what you might be doing, especially since you were upset with him, got the best of him. He almost expected you to be somewhere flirting with other men and finding a replacement for him.

You were curled up on your side with your face pressed into one of his shirts.

He felt like an asshole; you looked like you cried yourself to sleep.

He shook you awake. Not saying a word until you sleepily opened your eyes and focused them on him. You smiled at first, and then began looking confused. That was how he knew when you were fully awake.

“Happy birthday,” he said, hoping you could forgive him.

You smiled and reached out to take his hand. “You remembered.”

He squeezed your hand. It was worth dealing with the complaints of his associates to celebrate your birthday with you. Especially when it made you so happy.


	22. Sirens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Quiet Like Sirens" by Deas Vail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have a question for you guys. Would anyone mind if I upped the rating for this at some point? Since this is a relationship study, I've been toying with a few more sexual chapters (like first time awkwardness and potential not so sexy kind of stuff). Let me know what you guys think!
> 
> I was going to make this one longer, but then I hit a point where I found myself faced with the option of switching to Kaiba's POV. Since you guys seem to enjoy that, I thought I might continue this with him?  
>   
> Reader's POV. High school.  
> Enjoy~!

_There's a paralyzing quiet like sirens._

Graduating from high school scared you a little bit. You were excited about college, but that excitement was nothing compared to the worry you had about your relationship with Kaiba. He was staying in Domino. He had no use for college at this point in his life, and it would simply take time away from running Kaiba Corp. 

He didn't even bother going to the graduation ceremony. It shouldn't have disappointed you that you couldn't sit with him, but it did. You sat with your friends instead. 

Despite your anxiety about graduating, you still wanted to attend the graduation party. Kaiba refused to go to that too, but you weren't going to let that stop you from going. 

So you found yourself at a small convention center that the school rented out for the evening. There were chaperones present but not enough to keep people from spiking the punch and making out in dark corners. Most of your friends ran off to dance with their boyfriends. 

You tried to avoid the punch and stuck with grabbing one of the bottled drinks instead. Of course, you didn't know if it was actually spiked, but you didn't want to risk it. 

“Do you want to join the Alumni Society?” 

The moment you heard that phrase, you dove into the crowd. The girl recruiting people for the alumni thing already cornered you in the library a few days ago. You were forced to listen to her rant and rave about how awesome it was until Kaiba finally saved you. He appeared by your side, she asked him if he would like to join, and he told her to get lost. Then he grabbed your arm and dragged you away from her. Luckily she didn't follow. 

Kaiba wasn't around to save you this time. So you dodged her, losing sight of your friends in the process. You hoped that she wouldn't catch them. 

After you felt safe, you tried to find your friends. Short of actually standing on a table and looking around, you weren't sure how you would find them in this massive crowd. 

You were beginning to consider the stand-on-the-table plan when a group of girls cornered you. They said your name, greeting you, and you smiled back. You didn't know them, but that didn't mean much. You didn't really pay much attention to people outside your group of friends. 

“Where's Kaiba?” demanded one of the girls. 

“Dunno.” You hated when people asked you questions about Kaiba. “Does it look like I keep him on a leash?” You were being rude, her question wasn't even that bad, but you couldn't help yourself. You were sick of people trying to get information about him through you. You weren't a tabloid. 

The girl sneered. “Oh ha ha.” She rolled her eyes. “I just assumed he would be here with you.” 

“Well he's not here tonight. Now if you'll excuse me.” You tried to push past the girls, but they stopped you from leaving. 

“Wait! We wanted to talk to you a bit!” 

“About what?” Other than Kaiba, you didn't think there was anything they really wanted from you. 

“Ruri here says you're really good at speaking English.” 

You shrugged. You weren't any better than the average person. It only seemed like you were good at the subject because Kaiba sometimes decided to speak to you in English. Conversing with someone fluent in the language helped a lot. 

It was a bonus that he sometimes went out on a date with you if you actually managed to keep the conversation going. 

“I'm okay. I listen to a lot of American music.” 

“I bet Kaiba tutors you a lot too. Do you—” 

Okay. That was it. You were done now. You turned away from the girls and began climbing onto the table. You were going to find your actual friends. As you climbed onto the table, your purse slid off your shoulder and threw off your balance. You caught yourself but dropped your drink in the process. 

It was a good thing that it was bottled. 

You shoved your purse back onto your shoulder before carefully standing on the table. 

“Here, let me help.” One of the girls grabbed your legs to keep you steady. 

You were honestly surprised that she hadn't shoved you off the table. You scanned the room quickly, not wanting any of the girls to get the chance to shove you to the floor. Eventually you saw two of your friends standing near the chocolate fountain. 

You jumped off the table. “It was nice talking to you, but I'm going to join my friends now.” 

“Don't forget your drink!” One of the girls shoved your bottle back at you. 

You took it and smiled at her. That was surprisingly nice. Then you made your way over to the chocolate fountain. As you walked over to the fountain, you took a sip of your drink. You were thirsty—but it didn't taste right. 

You looked down at the bottle. Maybe it wasn't your drink? 

No. That was the type of drink that you picked up earlier. 

You took another sip, much smaller this time, and determined that the label was wrong. That was definitely not the type of drink you had earlier. 

When you found your friends, you must have still looked perplexed because they asked you what was wrong. 

“Some chick took my drink.” You frowned and shook the bottle. “This doesn't taste like what I was drinking.” 

You told your friends the entire story. They both wanted to know exactly who the girls who ambushed you were, but you honestly didn't know most of their names. Domino High wasn't a huge school, but it was big enough that you didn't know all the people in your class. 

“I think one of them was called Ruri?” 

“Ruri, like Ruri from English?” 

“Yeah!” You grinned at your friend, pleased that you had recalled the correct name. “That one.” 

“Doesn't she hang out with those girls who run the Kaiba Club?” 

You didn't have to respond. Your other friend beat you to it. “She does!” Then she turned to you. “Don't they all hate you?” 

Both friends seemed to be waiting for an answer. You shrugged. “Maybe?” They seemed nice enough while they were talking to you, but a lot of people were like that nowadays. 

You tuned out your friends as they began to talk about the Kaiba Club and all the girls who were members. You were starting to feel light headed. Maybe you were getting a headache from the loud music? You unscrewed the top of your drink and took a big gulp before remembering that it wasn't your drink. Wincing at the nasty aftertaste, you closed your eyes and tried to force the feeling away. 

“Are you okay?” 

You kept your eyes shut. You were still trying to find your center. “Just feeling a little headachy. I'm hoping it'll go away.” 

“Did you have any of the punch?” 

“No.” You opened your eyes so you could give her a look that said, 'Do you really think I would drink that stuff?' 

Your best friend was making a face at you. “Didn't you say those girls gave you the wrong drink?” 

“Yes?” You didn't know what she was trying to say. “You think they gave me some of their alcohol on accident?” 

“No.” She grabbed the bottle from you and unscrewed the top. She sniffed it. “It is possible, but—” She held the bottle up and looked at the bottom. “I think there's some stuff at the bottom.” 

You were feeling dizzy at this point. Too dizzy to focus on what she was saying. You reached out and grabbed her shoulder. “I think I need to go home.” 

She wrapped an arm around you, supporting you on one side. “Where's your phone?” 

“Ugh. No. Don't call my family.” You leaned into her. 

“I wasn't going to.” 

That was the last thing you remembered hearing.


	23. Anxious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "Expiry Date" by Thomston.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's part two. Kaiba's POV as promised. :) I hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> I have a question for everyone. I make playlists for a lot of my writing. Would anyone be interested in the link for the Spotify playlist for this story (or any of my other fanfics)?

_If I said I wasn't anxious, it's a lie._   
_Does that make me more human in your eyes?_

When his cellphone rang, Kaiba assumed that it was probably Mokuba calling to see why he was at the office. Then he actually checked the caller ID. It was you.

He answered the call and held the phone to his ear. “I don't care who you're dancing with. I am not going to that stupid party.”

There was a moment of silence. It was unsettling. Kaiba was used to your ability to always have a quip ready for any occasion.

“Um... Kaiba?”

That voice didn't belong to you. It was far too uncertain and too unfamiliar. “Who are you? Where did you get that phone?”

“I'm—oh shit! Is she still breathing?!”

Kaiba could hear the panic in the woman's voice. He wasn't sure who the she in question was, but he suspected that they meant you. He just hoped that he was wrong.

“What the hell is going on?!” He did his best imitation of angry and irritated. He didn't want his fear to be obvious. He managed to pull it off.

His efforts were wasted on the woman on the other line. She was no longer paying attention to him. From the faint sound of her voice, it seemed like she wasn't even near the phone anymore.

Then he heard it. Your name. The woman was chanting it, over and over. She kept telling you to wake up.

Kaiba would never admit it to anyone, but his brain shut down in that moment. He froze, unable to truly handle what was happening. Then he hit the 'speaker' button on his cell and placed it onto his desk. He picked up the phone on his desk and dialed the emergency number for the Kaiba Hospital.

“Kaiba Hospital, what's your—”

“This is Seto Kaiba.” He didn't bother waiting for the woman to end her sentence. “My girlfriend passed out at the Domino High graduation party. Send an ambulance, now.” He tried to recall where the party was being held, but it wasn't necessary.

“One is on the way now. I believe we already have medics on site in case of an emergency.”

“Have her placed in a private room when she gets there.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kaiba barely waited for her to finish her sentence before he hung up on her. He took a moment to listen to what he could hear through his cell phone. It seemed like someone was already on the scene and telling people to back away. He hung up. There was no point in keeping the call going while nobody was telling him anything.

He hit the number for his driver and grabbed his jacket as he left his office. Cursing the fact that he had opted not to drive into work today, Kaiba barely stopped to lock his office doors on his way out. He would be able to get to the hospital much faster if he was driving himself.

His driver was on the curb by the time Kaiba exited the building. Which was lucky for him. Kaiba wasn't in the mood to wait.

“Kaiba Hospital. Now. Don't stop for anything.”

The driver must have picked up on Kaiba's mood, because he pulled away from the curb without comment and slammed his foot down on the accelerator.

Kaiba wasn't sure if he would make it to the hospital before you did. He almost asked his driver to go to the graduation party instead. Then he decided that it would be better for him to get to the hospital. If he got there before you did, then he could start filling out your paperwork.

The school might call your family, but you were his girlfriend. He would make sure that you received the best treatment for whatever was going on. The doctors wouldn't let you die while they knew that Seto Kaiba was in the waiting room.

He tapped the window staring at the street outside the car, then the thought that something serious could have happened to you made him slam his fist against the window. Kaiba hated that he wasn't there for you.

He tried calling your cellphone. Perhaps you were already awake, and it was just a minor issue.

It rang a few times before going to your voicemail. Kaiba hung up and threw his phone against the seat across from him. He needed to do something.

By the time he made it to the hospital, Kaiba's nerves were completely fried. He threw open his door before the limousine even came to a complete stop and ran into the emergency room. He scanned the room for you as he made his way over to the nurse's station. Unconcerned about anyone else in the room, he shoved his way to the front of the line and gave the nurse your name.

The nurse typed it into the computer. “She arrived about five minutes ago. The doctors are still running tests.”

“What are their suspicions?”

“I'm sorry. I'm unable to reveal the details to anyone outside of her family.”

Kaiba placed his hands down onto the counter and leaned forward. He kept his voice low and threatening. “Pretend I'm her fiancé. I'll be filling out her forms and paying her bills anyway. Now tell me what's wrong with her.” He waited for a response. He could sense the nurse's hesitation. “I can get you fired. Just try me.”

She buckled under the pressure of his glare. “They think she might be under the influence of either alcohol or some sort of drug.” She pulled out a clipboard and slid it across the counter. “Here's her paperwork.”

He grabbed the paperwork. “Notify me the moment they know anything.” He didn't reveal how much the nurse's information bothered him. It wasn't the worst-case scenario, but Kaiba knew that you didn't do drugs nor did you drink. You liked to always be in full control of yourself. Kaiba appreciated that. If you had been the type of girl who enjoyed getting drunk or high, he never would have considered dating you.

While filling out your paperwork, Kaiba simply gave you his last name. The staff would know that he was lying, if he had gotten married it would have been a big deal, but they wouldn't call him out on it. It would make it easier for them to give him your information, and they would be able to let him make any important decisions.

Telling them that you were a Kaiba would just make everything easier.

“Kaiba!”

His head snapped up, and he scanned the waiting room. Did they have the results of the testing already? A vaguely familiar girl was approaching him, and she threw herself into the seat next to him.

“The nurse wouldn't tell me anything! Is she going to be okay?!”

The girl was frantic and pieces of her hair were sticking out at odd angles. She was one of your friends. Kaiba remembered her face from that one time you had attempted to get him to socialize with your group.

“They think she overdosed on something. What happened before she passed out?” Kaiba assumed this girl was the one who had called him on your phone.

“I don't know! She just rejoined us after members of your fanclub cornered her. She said she had a headache and then took a sip of her drink. A few minutes later she seemed to stop moving, and then she just passed out!” Then the girl's tone became accusatory. “Chiyo thinks your fanclub put something in her drink.”

Kaiba had to agree. It seemed suspicious that you were approached by members of his fanclub shortly before passing out. “Where is Chiyo?”

“I don't know. She rode in the ambulance. I thought I'd see her in the waiting room.”

Kaiba continued to do the paperwork. The faster he finished it, the sooner he could insist that they take him to your room. If they were still running tests, he would stand outside your room.

He was filling out the last line when a doctor called his name. Your friend stood up with him, but Kaiba glared at her. “Stay put or go home.”

“But she's my—”

“They won't tell me anything with you present. Do not follow me.” He hoped that he wouldn't be forced to threaten one of your friends. He doubted that you would be okay with that.

He walked over to the doctor. “Yes?”

“We've finished running the tests. We found large amounts of GHB in her system and had to pump her stomach. We've got her hooked up to an IV for fluids now. Her breathing is stable so she should wake up soon.”

Kaiba nodded. “Take me to her room.”

The doctor led Kaiba to your room, and Kaiba discovered your friend, Chiyo, sitting in a chair next to your bed. Kaiba's eyes narrowed. He was irritated that someone was allowed into your room before he was. He should have been the first one allowed to see you. 

Before Kaiba could verbalize his irritation, Chiyo jumped up from her chair and began yelling, “YOU! This is all your fault!”

“Please, miss—”

She ignored the doctor. “She's too good for you, you know! If you weren't dating her, she wouldn't have to put up with any of this shit! Your fanclub wouldn't be bullying her if you would have just left her alone.”

Kaiba scoffed. As if he was the one who pursued you. You were the one who decided to sit at his table for lunch. “Call security,” he told the doctor, not even bothering to defend himself. He didn't care what your friends thought of him.

“Don't you dare have me kicked out, Kaiba!” Chiyo grabbed his shirt. “I've kept quiet until now, but I'm telling her to break up with you! Just you wait! I'll find her a better man in college!”

Kaiba grabbed her wrist and applied pressure until she released his shirt. “There are no men better than I am.” He wasn't sure if he believed his own words or not. “I'm superior in every way. She'll never leave me.” He made himself believe those words. He had to believe those words.

Security arrived and escorted Chiyo, kicking and screaming, out of your room.

Kaiba took a moment to readjust his shirt before he looked at you.

Rage took over. As he stared at the tube connected to your arm, he vowed that he would find out who was responsible for drugging you and ruin their life. They would wish for death by the time Kaiba was through with them.

He pulled a chair right up to your bed and sat down. He reached out for your hand but stopped short. Did he deserve to touch you? Instead of holding your hand, he pulled out his cellphone. Since he didn't know how long he would be here with you, he decided to call Mokuba.

At first he was going to ask Mokuba to bring some of his work to the hospital, but then you groaned and began moving. He quickly said goodbye before hanging up. He slid his phone back into his pocket and said your name.

You slowly opened your eyes. The moment you focused on him, you asked where you were. Your voice was hoarse and cracked halfway through the question.

“You're in the hospital because of a drug overdose.” Kaiba wanted to interrogate you and demand that you tell him who drugged you, but he knew that now wasn't the time for that. He had plenty of time to make them suffer later.

He had the rest of their lives to make them suffer.

Your eyes widened. “I promise I didn't take any drugs!” You reached out and grabbed his hand. “I swear to you. I didn't try anything!”

Your response caught him off guard. He reached out with his free hand and pushed your shoulders back down against the pillows. “I know.”

You smiled, and he watched as your entire body relaxed. “Good. I was worried you were about to break up with me.” Your smile turned into a frown. “You know I would never intentionally do anything to make you look bad, right?” You were completely serious.

“I know.” He hated that you felt the need to defend yourself to him. “Do you remember the girls who talked to you before you passed out? Did they give you anything?”

You told him all about the three girls from his fanclub. You remembered what they looked like and informed him that one of them was in your English class. When you got to the part where they gave you a bottle, claiming it was your drink, Kaiba wanted to break something.

He smothered the impulse to get up and hunt those stupid women down. “They'll pay for this,” he muttered.

You smirked up at him. It was a smirk that you'd picked up from him over the past year. It said that you were already coming up with ways to get back at the girls. “Oh, I know.”

Kaiba knew that between the two of you, those girls would regret the day they were born.


	24. Criminal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "Miracle" by Under The Flood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is very short. Sorry. ): It's the last little bit of the previous segment. 
> 
> After this we're back to Russian Roulette. Who knows what'll come next~

_Hide, come quickly, she's a criminal, and she knows it all too well._

“Your destination should be on the right,” the robotic voice of the GPS announced. You read the street numbers and pulled over across the street from the house you were looking for. Normally you might park down the street, but you were currently using one of Kaiba's cars. The windows were completely tinted, and the license plates had been replaced. Kaiba still had quite a few “government issued” license plates from the days when Kaiba Corporation was a military company.

“Okay, we're here!” you announced to your friends.

“What about security?”

You grinned, showing off all your teeth. “I've got Kaiba's lockpicks and his cellphone. We're covered.”

Chiyo didn't understand. “His cellphone?”

“If they have any sort of electric security system, I can shut it down. Kaiba can control any of Kaiba Corporation's satellites from this, and Kaiba Corporation controls a majority of Domino's power supply. I could shut down the entire city right now if I really wanted to.”

Chiyo's mouth was now hanging open. It was a lot to take in. Even though Kaiba had demonstrated the power of his cellphone to you once, you were still a little skeptical.

“He lets you use that? Wow.”

You let out a single bark of laughter. “Nah. He doesn't trust me with it. Thinks I'll abuse it. No, he's letting me borrow it just for tonight. He'll probably remotely shut it off in a few hours.” Truthfully, Kaiba had just left his phone lying around where you could easily grab it. Just like he left the addresses of the girls who had drugged you lying around for you to find. Officially, Kaiba had ensured that no college would accept them, and he'd told you to just let it be. Unofficially, he was giving you all the tools you needed to screw with them.

It was his way of saying, “Go make their lives hell. Just don't get caught.”

You pulled out Kaiba's phone and pulled up his universal control app. “Okay. Time to shut down the house.”

You were going to find and destroy everything that mattered to each of those girls.


	25. Type Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "Type Three" by Anberlin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter brought to you by the return of Lunaescence! It's back up, and it's time to party! (And time for me to start moving over things I'd lost while it was down, including this update!)
> 
> So, this is the beginning of another kind of subplot. I actually planned to do something entirely different with the beginning of this plot, but then, this happened...
> 
> Enjoy~

_Don't bite the hand that feeds you, baby._

  
“You need to stay with me for a while.”  
  
You stared up at Kaiba, just blinking at him. It took a long moment for his words to sink in, and even then, you weren’t sure that you understood. “Well, good morning to you too.” You tried to smile playfully, but it probably turned into a grimace. “Isn’t it a bit early in the day to be planning a rendezvous?” What you really wanted to say was, ‘I’m not ready to sleep with you yet.’ Except you were still trying to figure out if that was what he wanted.  
  
You also didn’t think that a crowded classroom was a good location for a discussion about sex. At least one person had to be eavesdropping on your conversation.  
  
He dropped a newspaper onto your desk. From the expectant expression on his face, you assumed that the newspaper would explain everything to you.  
  
So you lifted it and scanned the headlines. Nothing seemed to be relevant, and you were still feeling uncomfortable. “How did you know that the morning news gets me in the mood? Oh baby.” It wasn’t like Kaiba was the easiest man to understand, but he was acting ridiculously enigmatic right now.  
  
“Wrong side,” he snapped as he grabbed the newspaper from your hands. He flipped it over and pointed at a specific headline.  
  
Not that he actually needed to point at it. Your eyes immediately landed on the picture of him that was next to it. There was a girl standing next to him, and you knew that it was a picture of you even without studying the blurry photo. Still, you tried to be optimistic. “Is that me?”  
  
You didn’t know if you wanted him to say yes or no. Obviously you didn’t like the idea of him being around another woman, but you didn’t want to be in the news. Of course that was always a possibility. It had been a possibility the entire time. Dating a high-profile man like Kaiba came with risks. You had simply hoped that nobody ever found out about you.  
  
“Obviously it’s you!” Kaiba scoffed, clearly not thinking very highly of your intelligence at the moment. “Who else would it be?”  
  
You skimmed over the article, wondering exactly what they had to say about you. Then you skimmed it once more, hardly believing your luck. Your name was nowhere to be found! You were a mystery girl! “They don’t know who I am!”  
  
“Not yet.” Kaiba didn’t hesitate to burst your rose-colored bubble. “They’ll figure it out soon enough. There’s an entire school full of people here who can easily reveal your name.”  
  
“So I need to just move in with you? How does that solve anything?” You were glaring at him. He could have let you be relieved for a little bit longer, but no, he had to shove his negativity into your face. “I think you just want to get in my pants.”  
  
Kaiba sat down in the desk next to yours. “Be serious.”  
  
“I am–” He raised an eyebrow, and you conceded to his silent point. “Fine. I’m being kind of serious. Isn’t there another option?”  
  
“This is the first time I’ve dated anyone.”  
  
“I know that.” It was glaringly obvious by the way he sometimes didn’t know how to act.  
  
He glared at you, and you decided that maybe you should let him talk. He seemed to be losing patience with you. “Reporters might try to stalk you for a story. One of my rivals might decide that you’re a better target than Mokuba. Once your name is attached to mine, you won’t be able to walk around like an average person anymore.”  
  
“That sounds crazy. I mean…” You searched for the right words. “I’m nobody special. I’m certainly not your brother.” It wasn’t like Kaiba loved you. You were just a girl he spent time with. You were more of a friend that he kissed from time to time and took out to dinner.  
  
He didn’t try to contradict your statement, not that you expected him to argue about it. “I’ll take you to my place after school. Wait for me by your locker.” Then he stood up and left, probably heading for his own class.  
  
You wanted to argue and protest. He was assuming that you would agree to his demands, and you hadn’t agreed to a single thing, but your teacher was at the front of the room, ready to begin the class. So you let the subject drop.  
  
He was already at your locker by the time you got there. It was probably because he knew that you were thinking about ditching him. You would have, too, if he had forced to you to wait for him. Patience wasn’t a virtue that either of you had.  
  
“Just can’t wait until you get me alone, can you?” you teased as you pulled out everything you would need for tonight’s homework.  
  
“There are reporters at the main door.” His voice was nonchalant, but from the way he was staring at you, it was obvious that he expected you to bolt at any moment.  
  
Well, you weren’t a baby deer. “Then maybe you should go out there without me? Lure them away.”  
  
“I think you should leave first.”  
  
“Excuse me?” That made no sense. You didn’t want to walk through all of those reporters. They would leave if Kaiba did, so he should be the first to go.  
  
“I’ll stay near the door and join you if anything happens. My limousine is already waiting for you at the curb. The driver knows you. If the reporters don’t recognize you, then they won’t be paying attention to you until it’s too late.”  
  
You didn’t really like his plan. It relied on you getting into his limo and on the reporters failing to recognize you. Still, it gave you a plan of your own. “Fine.” You closed your bag and made your way toward the exit of the school. Kaiba tried to walk with you, but you kept your distance.  
  
Once you were at the doors, you peered out of the window at the reporters sitting outside. They were carefully staying off of the school’s property, possibly because your principal was out there waving his cellphone around. You had no doubt that he was threatening to call the police.  
  
Well, it was now or never. You pulled out your headphones and popped them into your ears. Then you plugged them into your phone. It was an attempt to look as normal as possible. You pushed open the doors of the school and walked outside, pretending to be looking down at something on your phone.  
  
“Excuse me, miss?” You knew someone was trying to get your attention, but you kept your gaze down and on your cellphone. It worked, until one of the reporters blocked your path.  
  
You pulled out one of the headphone buds, leaving the other one in your ear, and stared at the woman in your way until she finally spoke. “Do you know if Seto Kaiba goes to school here?”  
  
Sometimes people just made it far too easy. You rolled your eyes at her. “I think everyone in Domino knows where Seto Kaiba goes to school.”  
  
“Have you seen him today? Is he in any of your classes?” Some of the other reporters were paying attention to your exchange, but other reporters were grilling other students on their way home. You understood why Kaiba hated these people so much.  
  
“Obviously I saw him today. His picture was all over this morning’s newspapers.”  
  
“Do you know who the–Kaiba!” The reporter practically shoved you out of her way as she tried to get Kaiba to pay attention to her.  
  
You just glared as you moved through the swarm of reporters. You should have expected him to get impatient and just leave the school. He was completely ruining your plan!  
  
Well, as long as he was distracted by reporters, maybe you could slip away from him. Even if he did try to grab you, it would be difficult for him to get past all the reporters while they were trying to get a comment from him.  
  
Then someone grabbed your arm. You let out a surprised squeak and tried to pull away from them. You gave up once you realized that it was one of Kaiba’s bodyguards. They were all stronger than you.  
  
“Mr. Kaiba told me to make sure you safely get into his limo.”  
  
Kaiba knew you far too well. “It’s okay. I’ll just be walking home.”  
  
“Sorry miss, but orders are orders. Don’t make me throw you into the backseat.”  
  
He would throw you into the backseat if you made him. Kaiba’s bodyguards were completely loyal to him. “Fine.” You didn’t like the amount of times that you’d said that word today. It seemed like you were agreeing to everything.  
  
Why were you even dating Seto Kaiba again? Sometimes it was hard to remember.  
  
Kaiba got into the limo shortly after you did and slammed the door behind him. “Drive and make sure nobody follows us,” he ordered. Then he turned on you. “What were you doing out there? Did talking to a reporter seem like a good idea?”  
  
“No. It seemed like a horrible idea. That’s why I was doing it.”  
  
He just pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Then he closed his eyes and rubbed at his temples. You were still angry at him, but you pushed that anger aside for a moment. “Do you have a headache?” you softly asked.  
  
“I’ve had one all day. This is a complete mess.” Then he opened his eyes so he could stare at you with the full intensity of his displeasure. “You’re not helping matters.”  
  
“Well, I had a plan you know.” You held up your head, jutting out your chin, stubbornly convinced that you hadn’t done anything wrong.  
  
Kaiba just ignored you. Since he wasn’t asking, you decided that you weren’t going to tell him your plan. It was his loss, really. Your plan had been pretty good.  
  
When the limo pulled up in front of your apartment, you were surprised. “I thought you were dragging me off to your place?”  
  
“We’re here to pick up your stuff. I’m sure you have clothing… or something, to pack.”  
  
That was considerate of him, but it didn’t mean that you were happy with him. You stayed seated in his limo. “I don’t know why I have to stay with you.”  
  
“We’ve been over this–”  
  
You reached out, grabbing his arm. “I’m not comfortable sleeping in your room.”  
  
“I’m not going to force you to do anything.” His voice was clipped. Something had set him off. He wasn’t even looking at you now.  
  
You reached out and placed a hand on the car door’s handle, ready to bolt. “Kaiba?”  
  
“Just go pack your stuff.” He sighed, leaned back, and closed his eyes. “Hurry up.”  
  
It was very hard to feel sympathetic for the man when he was acting like an ass. You didn’t say a word as you left his car and slammed the door shut behind you. You felt a bit guilty about what you were going to do, but he really needed to stop assuming you would go along with his plans.  
  
Besides, you had work today.  
  
So you went up to your apartment, tossed your stuff down in your room, and changed into your uniform. Kaiba was more than familiar with these short shorts and the tiny top with the restaurant’s logo, but you planned to sneak out of your apartment via the fire escape so that didn’t matter.  
  
You tossed what you needed into your bag and grabbed a jacket for later tonight when your shift ended. Then you left your apartment and located the window for the stairs. Nobody ever used it so the window was practically cemented shut, but after a bit of a struggle, you wrestled it open. Then you slid out and onto the stairs. You pushed the window shut behind you, making a note to lock it later when you got back, and jogged down the stairs.  
  
Kaiba would start to feel impatient soon, and you needed to be as far away as possible before that happened.  
  
Ten minutes later he called you, and you ignored his call. He continued to call you.  
  
Once you reached work, you sent Kaiba a quick text. “At work. I have a shift today. Do NOT do anything that will get me fired.”  
  
He sent you a response almost immediately. You didn’t bother reading it before muting your phone. He was angry, and you could guess at what his text said.  
  
At work, most of your customers couldn’t give a damn about Seto Kaiba’s mystery girl. It was expected. They only liked two things: beer and sports. Your coworkers, on the other hand, cared a lot. At least, the female coworkers cared.  
  
During the first lull in your shift, one of the girls approached you. “Doesn’t Seto Kaiba show up here from time to time?”  
  
You cursed. You hadn’t calculated for nosey coworkers. “I guess?” You shrugged and tried to walk away from her.  
  
“He’s been in your section right? Do you ever talk to him?” She followed you as you pretended to check the status on one of your orders.  
  
“He’s quiet, and when he isn’t, he’s an asshole. Not much to say.”  
  
“So you don’t know who he’s dating? Don’t even have a teeny hint?”  
  
You stared at her for a moment. Well, at least she wasn’t suspicious of you. “Don’t you think I would’ve sold that information already if I knew?” Maybe you would have, too. In some alternate universe where you weren’t the girl he was dating, you might have sold that girl out.  
  
Your coworker seemed to see the logic in that statement, and she walked away to gossip with someone else.  
  
As you watched her walk away, you hoped that you could get through the rest of your shift without an incident.  
  
When you had a break, you texted Kaiba again, asking if he would be picking you up after work.  
  
He didn’t text back. Work ended, and he still hadn’t texted back. His last text to you–the one he sent right after you let him know that you were at work–read, “Fine. If you don’t want my help, don’t cry to me when the media figures out who you are.”


	26. Rearranged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Song inspiration: "Rearranged" by Mads Langer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm super on the fence about this one, guys. I don't even know what happened. =|
> 
> The next "set" is going to be a three-parter, I think. I've had the first one done for ages, but I want to finish the second one from Kaiba's pov before posting (so I can be sure I can pull it off).

_Now my future has been rearranged._   
  
The next day, when you glanced outside your window, you discovered a large group of people just milling around. Photographers had their cameras at the ready, and it was apparent that you'd been discovered. Honestly, you weren’t surprised. One of your classmates had probably outed you at some point.   
  
Instead of getting ready for school, you kneeled next to your bed and pulled out your laptop. It was a too-expensive birthday present from Kaiba, and one that you had been hesitant to accept. Kaiba rationalized it by stating that it was a useful gift. You needed your own computer for school, and it was a Kaiba Corp. brand computer, so it hadn't cost Kaiba anything. Eventually, he had convinced you to accept it, so you might as well use it.  
  
You pulled the laptop onto your bed and turned it on. It would boot up pretty quickly, but you were used to ancient computers that took forever. Now that the computer was starting, you left your room, quietly inspecting the rest of your apartment. You found your mother easily enough. She was passed out on the couch, and you pulled the blanket over her. Your father wasn't anywhere to be found, meaning he was probably at work.  
  
After getting some cereal from the kitchen, you retreated back to your room with your mother's phone. The computer was on, and you opened a window for the internet. You looked up your name and Kaiba, and the screen was flooded with news articles like, "Kaiba's New Girlfriend Discovered!" You clicked on the very first one, and sure enough, they had a school photo of you subtitled with your name.   
  
Well, that settled it. You picked up your mother's phone and dialed the number for the school.   
  
"You've reached Domino High School. How may I help you?"  
  
"Yeah, my daughter's sick," you said, slurring your words a little. "She's not gonna be in today."  
  
"Okay. What's your daughter's name?"  
  
You gave the woman your name, and then slurred a goodbye before hanging up on her. Now that you were out of going to school for the day, you had plenty of time for plotting. There were reporters outside your building, and they were going to continue to hound you for a long time. It wasn’t a matter of outwaiting them. Some of them might leave, but others would simply take their places.  
  
You’d known all along that this would happen eventually, and you were prepared.   
  
But before you got into your costume… you grabbed a bag of water balloons off of your desk.   
  
The balloons took a while to fill, and even though you were careful, some of them burst open on you, creating a mess you had to clean up. Once you had them all filled, you pushed open your parents’ bedroom window and bent down so you couldn’t be seen.   
  
Then you started tossing water balloons down and onto the reporters. One by one the balloons fell. You didn’t hit anyone–not that you were actually aiming for them, that would have involved actually looking out the window–but quite a few of them did get splashed. If at least one camera had water damage, then you would be pleased with yourself.   
  
As long as nobody caught sight of you, they couldn’t prove that you were the one doing it. So once you were out of balloons, you stayed low to the floor until you were out of the room. The curtains in your room would protect you from being spotted once you were there.   
  
A few weeks ago, you’d bought a wig that looked nothing like your own hair. It wasn’t the nicest wig in the world, but when you put a hat over it, nobody could tell that it wasn’t your real hair.   
  
So you pinned on your wig, put a basic hat over it, and changed into jeans and a loose t-shirt. Combined with some sunglasses, nobody would recognize you on your way out of the building.   
  
Or so you hoped.   
  
On the off-chance that you couldn’t get back into your apartment later, you packed everything important in an oversized bag. Kaiba was probably still holding yesterday against you–he liked to cling to grudges and could pout for days–so you wouldn’t assume that he would be willing to hide you, but you did have some friends who would let you stay at their places for a while.   
  
Instead of climbing down the fire escape, you decided to just walk out the main door. Your apartment wasn’t security enforced, so you would be surprised if there weren’t already “journalists” roaming the halls. Using the fire escape would simply call too much attention to yourself.   
  
You just had to hope that your disguise worked when you walked out the front door. Otherwise, you would be mobbed.   
  
With a deep breath in, you braced yourself before pushing the front door open. A few bright flashes blinded you, and you scowled at the photographers, ready to dash back inside, but then there was a collective groan as everyone decided you weren’t the girl they were waiting for.   
  
They did shout a few questions at you, mostly wondering if you knew Kaiba’s new girlfriend, but you ignored them. It was hard to refrain from running, but you forced yourself to keep up a steady pace as you walked away from your apartment.   
  
Nobody even looked twice at you… or so you hoped. You weren’t going to ruin it by looking back. You were so nervous that you nearly jumped out of your skin when your cellphone started vibrating. Since school would have started more than an hour ago, you tried to guess who could even be calling you as you pulled your phone out of your pocket.   
  
The number was blocked. How predictable.   
  
“Hi, K–” You almost said his name but caught yourself. There were too many people around. “Darling~” you teased, knowing he hated pet names. “Shouldn’t you be at school?”   
  
“I am,” he growled. “Why aren’t you here?”   
  
“Because~” You tried not to reveal how pleased you were by his concern. He must not have gotten too angry with you yesterday.   
  
His noise of frustration told you he really wasn’t happy with your response. “Did you see the news?”  
  
“I didn’t really have to. My building is surrounded by paparazzi.”   
  
“I warned you this would happen.” Now he sounded pleased. Too pleased.   
  
You wondered if maybe this was why he’d decided to actually talk to you today. “Whatever. I made it out of the building okay.”   
  
“How?!” He was shocked; you could tell. Now it was your turn to be pleased.   
  
“A wig and some glasses. They only have a few crappy school photos to go off of.”   
  
He growled. “Where are you now? What if someone recognizes you?”   
  
You looked around for a street sign and read off the name of the street you were standing on.   
  
“Wait there.”  
  
“What? Why?” you tried to ask, but it was too late. Kaiba had already hung up on you.   
  
You didn’t want to wait for Kaiba, but after you ditched him yesterday, you felt like you probably should. Kaiba did know what he was doing when it came to the press, and you didn’t have anything better to do.   
  
The street that you were standing on didn’t have very many stores and only a few of them were interesting. Obviously you wouldn’t have anything to do at the tattoo parlor, and since you weren’t a fan of day drinking, the liquor store wasn’t somewhere you wanted to be.   
  
On the opposite side of the street, there was a small secondhand store. You’d been in that store a few times, and the owner knew you. She’d sold you some interesting jewelry and some of her books. Hopefully, she wouldn’t recognize you today.   
  
The little bell above the door rang when you entered the store. Luckily for you, the owner was already busy with another customer. She greeted you from across the store but otherwise ignored you.  
  
You weren’t interested in shopping, so you hoped that she remained busy for a while. Even if she didn’t recognize you, you would feel pressured to buy something if she came over to talk to you. Right now, nothing appealed to you, but while you were waiting for Kaiba, you decided to wander around the store, looking at objects at random.   
  
“Excuse me, miss?”   
  
You turned toward the voice and found a man standing right behind you. “Yes?” You stepped back. He was a little too close for comfort.   
  
“Could you help me find a book?” He stepped closer, mirroring your movements and keeping you close.   
  
“Sorry.” You shook your head and continued to back away. “I don’t work here.”   
  
“Yeah, but it looks like the woman working here is busy. I’d just like the help looking.”   
  
This man really needed to stop staring at you and get out of your personal bubble. “No. Sorry. I’m busy.” You turned away from him, hoping he would get the message.   
  
“You don’t look busy. Looks like you’re just walking around.”   
  
You refused to face the man. He had to leave you alone eventually, and if he didn’t, Kaiba would be here soon anyway. He claimed to want a book, so you walked away from the books.   
  
“Looking for something for someone?” he questioned, sounding like he was still behind you.   
  
You didn’t bother looking at the man as you responded, “Look, buddy, go away. I don’t know you, and I don’t work here, and I will call the cops.” You pulled out your phone and sent Kaiba a text that read: Creep following me around the store.  
  
The man continued to try to talk to you, asking you invasive and personal questions as you wandered around the store. Eventually, you just walked into the bathroom and locked the door. The man was silent, but you were pretty sure that he was standing outside, just waiting for you like some kind of serial killer.   
  
When Kaiba called and said he was waiting outside, you refused to even leave the bathroom. Instead, you told Kaiba where you were and asked him to come get you. He agreed, but you could tell that he wasn’t happy about getting out of his limo.   
  
If he ran into that creep, Kaiba would totally tear him a new one. You just knew it.   
  
Then you heard someone shouting, “Seto Kaiba! Seto Kaiba!” in the hallway outside the bathroom. You were curious and reached for the doorknob. There was a knock at the door before you could open it, and you yanked your hand away.  
  
“It’s me. Open up.” That was Kaiba’s angry growl, you would recognize it anywhere.   
  
Someone was still outside, shouting Kaiba’s name, but you trusted him and opened the door. The moment the door swung open, something dropped onto your head. Clawing at it, you tried to pull it off, but someone else adjusted it so it was draped on the top of your head, shadowing your face. “Keep my jacket on,” Kaiba instructed. “There are too many photographers around.”   
  
As if he wanted to prove Kaiba’s point, some guy shouted, “I knew she was your girlfriend!”  
  
Kaiba wrapped an arm around your shoulders, holding the jacket in place and guiding you as he started walking. His body jerked away from you for a moment before returning, and then the man began to shout about his camera being expensive.   
  
Kaiba didn’t care. He stayed silent as he led you out of the store. His jacket felt like a cocoon as you held it shut in front of you. Part of it fell over your forehead and into your eyes, blocking off some of your line of sight, but it also blocked your face from prying eyes, which was probably what he wanted. He guided you, ensuring that you would keep pace with him and not run into anything.  
  
It felt nice.   
  
Then he opened the door to the outside world, and you could see the flashing lights, even though the jacket blocked off most of your sight. There were so many questions shouted that you weren’t even sure that anyone was really speaking. You couldn’t make out any words in that rush of noise. Kaiba tugged you closer so that you were slightly facing him, and you grabbed at the front of his shirt.   
  
Walking through the press was even worse when they were all paying attention to you.   
  
Then Kaiba’s hand moved to your head, and he forced you to lean over before shoving you into the backseat of his limo. He followed closely behind you, and the moment the door slammed shut, the roar of questions seemed to fade away.   
  
“Kaiba Corp,” Kaiba barked at the driver. Then he grabbed his jacket and pulled it off of you.   
  
The wig went with the jacket, and some of your hair was knocked into your face. You thought that you should probably fix it, but your hands refused to move. Kaiba’s hands cupped your face, and he carefully turned your head until you were facing him. He stared into your eyes and searched your face.   
  
You weren’t sure what he was looking for, but his hands eventually fell from your face, and he leaned back in his seat. He reached out and grabbed your hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.   
  
His hand was stable, and it made you realize that yours was shaking a little. You never expected your first interaction with the press to be so unsettling, but they had been so loud.  
  
“I’m going to have to get used to it, aren’t I?”  
  
Kaiba nodded, but remained silent for a long moment. Then, carefully drawing out his words, he said, “They’ll hound you for as long as we’re dating. Even if we break up, they’ll probably continue to follow you for a while.”  
  
You clutched his hand, your nails digging into his skin. “What do you mean?!”  
  
He faced you again. “You’re a person of interest now. A celebrity.”  
  
“No. Not that. The breaking up part.”  
  
He shrugged. “You never know what will happen in the future.”  
  
You didn’t know what to say to that. You simply stared back at him, wondering why he would bring up something like that. He turned away, looking out the window. You were still holding his hand in a death grip, and you pulled it over into your lap so you could wrap your arms around his arm and lean into him.   
  
Snuggling into him caught his attention, and you felt the way his muscles tensed. He still wasn’t used to being so physically close with anyone.   
  
You didn’t know if he ever would get used to it.   
  
When Kaiba’s driver pulled up to Kaiba Corp, you couldn’t stop your jaw from dropping. Based on the amount of photographers at your apartment, you had assumed that they were all down there. You were wrong. There were even more photographers standing outside of Kaiba Corp.   
  
“I can have my driver take you to the mansion,” Kaiba said as the car stopped. “It’s safe there.”   
  
You couldn’t tear your eyes away from all the people standing on the sidewalk. They were crowding the car, trying to peer into the tinted windows. “I can’t stay safe forever.” You knew that this came with dating Kaiba. The press were simply part of the package.   
  
“You don’t have to do anything you aren’t ready for.”   
  
You were touched that he would say that. Even after everything, he was willing to hide you away from the press. He was willing to let you take this relationship at your own pace. You leaned over and gave him a kiss at the junction of his neck and jaw.   
  
You might have tried to nibble at his neck, but he gently pushed you away. “Not now,” he warned.   
  
“Fine.” You huffed. “Just don’t expect it later.”   
  
He wasn’t even looking at you. “Take her to the mansion,” he told the driver, looking out at the press. His security team was parting the crowd, and it was clear that he would be able to leave the car soon. He pulled his hand away from yours. “I’ll see you in a few hours. I have a few meetings I need to go to, but I’ll try to get away.”   
  
“I can wait with–”  
  
“Not now.” He turned, pinning you with his eyes. “The press won’t decide what to post about you. We will. They’ll get pictures of you on **our** terms or not at all.”   
  
All you could focus on was the fact that he’d said ‘we’ instead of ‘I’. So you nodded and let him leave the car without protest. As he entered the building, the car pulled away from the curb, but you continued to stare at the horde of photographers. Maybe you should buy a plastic Halloween mask and start carrying it around or something.   
  
You leaned back into the seat and looked up at the car’s roof. Dating Kaiba was going to be more than a simple inconvenience. From here on, your entire life would change.   
  
Was he worth it?


	27. Buttons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "True Love" by Pink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is short, yes, but there's likely to be more in the near future. I'm feeling like writing moments. The little ones. The small fights that aren't really fights. The snuggles while doing your own thing. Going to bed together. I mean, that's what makes the bulk of a relationship. 
> 
> I hope you guys are into reading it!

_ There’s no one quite like you. _ _   
_ _ You push all my buttons down.  _

At some point, Kaiba had learned how to tune out external noise while he worked. It had a bit to do with Mokuba constantly watching TV in his office, but Kaiba liked to think that he wasn’t the type of person who would be easily distracted in the first place. Perhaps his ability to focus on the task at hand had a bit to do with Gozaburo’s teachings, but he opted not to think any further about that. 

No. He had been foolish to assume that he could concentrate even if the world were reduced to chaos. He couldn’t even focus on his reports with you shouting at the TV. The moment you began to curse and shout, he’d lost focus, wondering exactly where that rage had come from. As he stared at you, he wondered what he should do if you began to foam at the mouth.

Maybe he wouldn't do anything about it.

Somehow, watching you completely lose it was enjoyable. He liked knowing that you lost your composure at times. 

He watched as your character got slaughtered by the enemies swarming around you. Then the screen went black before a loading screen popped up. You dropped back down onto the couch before throwing the controller against a cushion with a huff. He could tell that you were muttering to yourself, but he couldn’t make out any of the words. 

He couldn’t resist taunting you. “I warned you not to play on the hardest difficulty.” 

Your attention snapped to him, and you bared your teeth. “Shut up. I was doing just  _ fine _ .”

“We designed that difficulty for true masters at gaming. It’s too much for a casual gamer.” He enjoyed the way you believed that you might be able to get through the game if you tried hard enough. It was cute. 

He’d never admit that to you out loud. 

“You know, you’re not very encouraging.” You turned back to the game with a huff. “As my boyfriend, you should cheer me on. Not tell me I’m not good enough.”

Kaiba rolled his eyes. “You aren’t good enough.” It was a fact, and he could tell from all your shouting and yelling that you were too stressed to enjoy the game. 

You made a frustrated noise. “You know what? I’m leaving.” You turned off the system without bothering to close the game. “You’re the worst.” 

“Don’t throw a tantrum.”

“I am not throwing a tantrum!” You began grabbing your stuff and tossing it into your bag. “You’re just acting like a jerk!” 

Kaiba scanned his work, estimating how much time he would need to spend before he could leave. He pushed his chair back and stood, reaching up for the ceiling and stretching out his back. You paused and glared at him, but he knew that you were watching him. He made eye contact and smirked. 

You narrowed your eyes, challenging him with your anger. 

He strode over to you, putting a hand on your chin to keep you from looking away. “I’ll be here for another hour or so, but I should be home in time for dinner.” 

You scowled. “You can sleep here for all that I care.” 

“Don’t take your frustration out on me,” he ordered. “It’s childish. Play the correct difficulty for your skill next time.” 

You opened your mouth, either to insult him or protest that he was being unfair. Kaiba didn’t care which. He leaned down and covered your lips with his own. The kiss was awkward at first, and then you shut your mouth, allowing him to kiss you properly. The hand that wasn’t keeping your face in place gripped your hip, pulling you closer. He could feel your hand clutching the front of his shirt. He broke the kiss for a moment so he could study your face. 

You were distracted from your anger already. He pressed his lips against yours again, pushing you backward with his body. 

Then he pulled away, letting his hands drop to his side. You stared at him, mouth ajar and eyes wide. “I’ll see you for dinner.” Kaiba turned away from you, not needing to see your face to know the expression that would take over. 

“YOU’RE THE WORST!” 

He ignored your outburst as he settled back down at his desk. You stormed out of his office, but he knew you would calm down by the time he met you at home. He told himself that baiting you while you were annoyed with your new game was petty, but he couldn’t help but enjoy frustrating you just like you frustrated him. 

He went back to work, understanding why you enjoyed provoking people, even if he might never admit that to you. 


	28. Tired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from “No Love to Speak” by Anberlin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be a three parter. Also, I'm sorry in advance. 
> 
> Reader's POV. The college years. 
> 
> Kaiba's POV is up next. I'm going to use lyrics from "Neptune" by Sleeping at Last. ;) I know that because it's almost done. 
> 
> Enjoy?

_Oh sweetheart, I’m tired,_   
_I’m tired,_ _  
I’m tired of trying._

It had been almost two weeks since you last heard from Seto Kaiba. Supposedly, he was your boyfriend, but the only way you could be confident that he wasn’t dead was because the media would have reported it. Otherwise, he could be dead for all you knew at this point.

Initially, you called and texted him a few times. Nothing important, just a few ‘I love you’s and some inquiries into how his day was going. At one point, you called his work line, trying to get in touch with him somehow. His secretary was the one who answered. According to her, he was in a meeting.

You didn’t know if that was true or if she was blowing you off. If she was blowing you off, you didn’t know if it was because Kaiba told her to do so or just because she wanted to be difficult. There were so many possible answers, and you were inclined to believe she was blowing you off because Kaiba told her not to put your calls through. She didn’t seem like the petty type.

After a week without contact, you even considered sending him an email. Then you decided that would be too desperate. You might have pursued a relationship with Kaiba, and you might be willing to reach out to him regularly to maintain it, but your pride wouldn’t let you send an email when he ignored your calls and texts.

Now that it had been two weeks, you were just angry with him. It was infuriating. When the two of you were still living in the same city, you could just wander over to Kaiba Corp. and sit in his office until he paid attention to you. Now you were going to college in a different city. You couldn’t just crash his office.

Besides, you shouldn’t have to barge into his work to get attention from him.

He needed to put some effort into this relationship, too.

Yes, he was busy, but you had a life. You had classes and a job. Doing all the work to keep this relationship afloat was wearing you down. It was unfair.

Because you were bitter and angry, you ended up sharing what was going on with one of your coworkers. He’d noticed that something had been upsetting you recently and asked how life was going. Just the fact that someone had paid any attention to you made the whole story spill out. As you were telling him about Kaiba’s complete silence, you felt like you should shut up. It felt wrong, putting your relationship out there like that…

But the words kept spilling out.

Your coworker stayed silent when you were done speaking. He frowned and avoided eye-contact, looking like he had something he wanted to avoid saying. The entire story seemed to make him uncomfortable. He probably regretted even asking about how things were going.

“That sucks. I’m sure he’ll call soon?” he offered. He was a terrible actor.

“You don’t mean that.”

He shrugged. “I don’t think you want my opinion.”

“C’mon, just tell me what you’re thinking.” You stared at him, giving him the glare that you’d learned from Kaiba. Yours wasn’t as scary as Kaiba’s version, but it still seemed to be effective.

“Fine, fine.” He held his hands up in surrender. “Just stop looking at me like that.” Your coworker turned away from you. “I think he’s ghosting you.”

“Ghosting… what?”

So your coworker explained ‘ghosting’ to you. Ignoring someone until they went away instead of just coming out and breaking up with them.

Could it be what was happening to you? Had Kaiba decided that he wasn’t interested in you anymore?

It was depressing.

You let your friends take you out at the end of the second week. It was starting to look like you might go a third week without contact, and the worry that you no longer had a boyfriend was starting to get to you. So when they told you that they were planning to go out and dance, you decided to go with them. It would be a distraction.

So you drank a little and danced a lot. Sometimes you danced with your friends. Sometimes you danced with men you didn’t know. It didn’t matter. You were young. Kaiba was a high school romance. Those never lasted.

So when you texted him that night, you were half-drunk, thinking the relationship was already over.

_I just wish you were man enough to break up with me properly instead of ignoring me like I’m a problem that’ll go away._

Maybe you should have waited until the next day to send that text to Kaiba, but you didn’t. You sent it right away. Why did it matter anyway? For all you knew, his number had been changed weeks ago.

It was over. That was all you knew. He couldn’t just ignore you for weeks on end and expect it to be okay.


	29. How?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "Neptune" by Sleeping at Last. 
> 
> Kaiba's POV. A continuation of the last one. (AND I AM SO SORRY FOR LEAVING THAT HANGING FOR SO LONG I AM THE WORST.) 
> 
> Please enjoy~

_I’m only honest when it rains._   
_If I time it right, the thunder breaks when I open my mouth._ _  
I wanna tell you, but I don’t know how. _

Kaiba didn’t see your drunk text right away. In fact, he didn’t see it until the next day.

At first, he scoffed at it. You were prone to dramatic declarations, making things seem more extreme than they were. He wasn’t ignoring you. It had only been a few days since he last spoke to you on the phone. He remembered the conversation clearly. You had tried to engage him in phone sex right before a meeting.

In fact, he could recall which meeting it had been. He had met with new investors, something that he hated doing more than any other aspect of his job. So he had been more annoyed by your antics than usual.  

He looked the meeting up on his calendar. He intended to text you the date of that last call to prove that you were ridiculous.

He last spoke to you at the beginning of the month.

Thinking his calendar had somehow been altered, he even scrolled through calls on his phone looking for the last time he spoke to you. Thanks to all the calls he had to make for work, it took him some time to find the call. The date wasn’t wrong.

He scrolled through your texts to him. He almost never texted you. The conversation had been one-sided for well over a month, but you expected that. You knew how he felt about texting.

Still, over the past two weeks, your texts had been further and further apart. The one before last night’s was from two days ago. It was a simple, “Please call me.”

He knew that there had been a voicemail or two recently that he meant to listen to before getting caught up in work. They were still waiting for him on his phone. His listened to them back-to-back and tried not to feel guilty about how long the oldest one had been sitting there.

He deleted the messages and set his phone aside. Even if it had been a while, that didn’t give you the excuse to act childish about the situation. You just wanted attention, and you were acting out to get it. That was all this was.

He went back to work. He read over his emails and found himself reading the same sentence over and over. He tried to compose responses but couldn’t focus on what he wanted to say. He kept glancing back at his phone.

He should reply to you. He should at least send you a text or call you.

He didn’t want to reward your bratty behavior.

But it had been a while.

He refocused on the emails. He would call you later.

Once he’d finished his first round of tasks, he took a brief break, telling himself that he needed coffee. If he sent you a text while he was getting coffee, well that was simply good multitasking.

He found himself staring at the screen of his phone as he waited in line. He never just texted you to say hello, but he didn’t know how to respond to your most recent text. By the time he ordered his coffee, Kaiba was thoroughly annoyed by this whole debacle. This was nonsense, and you should know that you were being silly. He typed, “Don’t be so ridiculous,” into the box and sent it off as he was waiting for the coffee to be prepared. There. He’d responded. Now he could put this whole matter behind him, and you would go back to sending him nonsense nonstop.

Feeling accomplished, he went back to work.

His phone may have buzzed a few times, but he ignored it.

Near the end of the day, Mokuba burst into his office and tossed his school bag down on the couch. “Hey Seto.” Instead of throwing himself down onto the couch, Mokuba crossed over to his desk and sat down in one of the chairs. Mokuba stared at him, and Kaiba found himself unsettled by the way his brother was studying him.

“What,” he snapped, wanting Mokuba to just say whatever was on his mind.

“Nothing.” Mokuba crossed his arms. “I just figured you would be upset, or something, I dunno. Were you the one to break things off?” Mokuba shook his head. “Bro, I wish you would’ve warned me. I put down serious money on the two of you getting married.”

“Mokuba, what are you talking about?” Kaiba’s mind tried to grab onto anything that made sense. “Are you gambling?”

Mokuba held up his hands. “Guilty!” Then he frowned. “But seriously, what happened?”

“Mokuba, if you have enough money to gamble, I’m obviously giving you too much money.”

Mokuba rolled his eyes, tilting his head up to exaggerate the motion. “I thought it was a sure thing, ok? And can we move on from that, Seto? Isn’t your breakup a little more important?”

“I haven’t broken up with anyone.” Kaiba narrowed his eyes. “Where did you hear that?”

Confusion took over Mokuba’s face. “Uh, it was all over the school, and the news I assume. People asked me about it all day long. A few girls wanted to know if I would give you their numbers, and I had to explain to them just how _old_ you are‒”

“Mokuba,” Kaiba interrupted his brother before he could begin rambling, “where did that rumor come from?”

Mokuba took a deep breath. Kaiba could see his brother debating what to tell him. He couldn’t understand why he looked so nervous. This must be a misunderstanding. The gossip blogs put up fake news regarding his relationship on a monthly basis.

“I think your girlfriend, um, ex, now I guess… I think she changed her status to single online?” Mokuba looked down at his feet. “Sorry, Seto, I thought you knew.”

Kaiba didn’t say a word. He pulled his phone out, intending to call you and clear this misunderstanding up immediately. He activated his phone, and the screen lit up to show a notification that he had two texts from you. A swipe opened the texts to show that you’d responded to his earlier message.

The first response: SCREW YOU ASSHOLE! I’m sorry emotions are ridiculous to you you selfish dick!

The next: Feel free to lose my number! I never want to see or hear from you again!

He stared at the phone. He could understand how you might have misunderstood his most recent text, but honestly, he was still a bit annoyed at having to deal with this drama. How could you be so blind to the fact that he wouldn’t date you if he didn’t care about you? He just happened to be a busy man. His lack of a response didn’t mean he was ignoring you. He read every single message that you sent him. He just always had something else going on that stopped him from responding.

“Seto?” Mokuba left the rest of the question unsaid.

Kaiba slid his phone across the desk. He trusted Mokuba’s opinion and waited as his brother read over the text messages.

Mokuba whistled. “I assume you didn’t mean to break up with her?”

Kaiba shook his head. “Isn’t the meaning of my message obvious?”

“No.” Mokuba scoffed. “Well, you really messed it up this time… but I think we can fix this… assuming you want to fix this?”

Kaiba nodded without hesitation.

“Great!” Mokuba grinned. “I may win some money on this after all.”

“Mokuba!”

“Right, right, we need to convince her to take you back first of course.” Mokuba put the phone back down on the desk. “I think I have an idea.”

Kaiba didn’t trust the shit-eating grin that his brother had on his face, but he had a feeling it would somehow be a better idea than anything he could come up with on his own.

Not that he would ever admit that to Mokuba.

“Are you going to share your idea with me or is it just going to gather dust in your head?”

Mokuba leaned back in the chair. “I think this idea might be worth an allowance raise.”

“Don’t push your luck, kid.”

“Worth a shot.” Mokuba shrugged. Then he got his own phone out of his pocket and began to explain the idea to his brother.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys will just have to wait for the next update to see Mokuba's idea in action~ ;) 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed the brotherly bonding time! I feel like Kaiba would absolutely go to Mokuba for advice (in a passive sort of way) when it came to relationships with people. I dunno. I always headcanon Mokuba as being a fantastic people-person. (Also, I dunno if it's obvious, but as the reader is in college here, Mokuba is in high school. ;D)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [The Art of Avoidance](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13309074) by [Aki_The_Shiftless](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aki_The_Shiftless/pseuds/Aki_The_Shiftless)




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